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Congress supports $16 billion aid plan for Amtrak, passenger rail projects
June 12, 2008
Herb Jackson - The Record (Hackensack N.J.)Issue date: 6/12/08 Section: Real News
WASHINGTON _ Congress bucked President Bush on Wednesday and gave bipartisan support to spending more than $16 billion over the next five years on Amtrak and other passenger rail projects that Bush has repeatedly tried to wean from federal subsidies.
The House voted 311-104 _ a big enough margin to override a threatened veto _ to increase Amtrak's operating budget through 2013 by an average 28 percent. The bill also provides a 48 percent increase in funding for new equipment and facilities, and creates grant programs for states to improve service between big cities and for Amtrak to upgrade more routes for high-speed rail service.
All 13 members of New Jersey's House delegation voted for the bill.
Numerous speakers cited the high price of gas and said the nation needed a viable rail system as an alternative to driving and flying.
For the roughly 6,000 commuters from Bergen and Passaic counties who take NJ Transit trains into New York City every day, the bill promises improved reliability because Amtrak would be required to bring its Northeast Corridor tracks, tunnels and bridges up to a "state of good repair."
"New Jersey has a major interest in the success of the corridor," Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-Paterson, N.J., said during floor debate on the bill. "It's the spine for New Jersey's transit commuter system ... 80 percent of NJ Transit riders use the Northeast Corridor for nearly 200,000 daily trips."
There's no budget yet for how the money would be spent because the bill still faces several hurdles. But Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black said priorities would include upgraded switches, signals and electrical systems, which often cause delays.
"It is not fully in a state of good repair," Black said. Amtrak has been making improvements in recent years, including a new emergency exit system from the tunnels under the Hudson River, but "there's plenty of remaining projects that need to be accomplished, including replacement of some movable bridges."
The House voted 311-104 _ a big enough margin to override a threatened veto _ to increase Amtrak's operating budget through 2013 by an average 28 percent. The bill also provides a 48 percent increase in funding for new equipment and facilities, and creates grant programs for states to improve service between big cities and for Amtrak to upgrade more routes for high-speed rail service.
All 13 members of New Jersey's House delegation voted for the bill.
Numerous speakers cited the high price of gas and said the nation needed a viable rail system as an alternative to driving and flying.
For the roughly 6,000 commuters from Bergen and Passaic counties who take NJ Transit trains into New York City every day, the bill promises improved reliability because Amtrak would be required to bring its Northeast Corridor tracks, tunnels and bridges up to a "state of good repair."
"New Jersey has a major interest in the success of the corridor," Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-Paterson, N.J., said during floor debate on the bill. "It's the spine for New Jersey's transit commuter system ... 80 percent of NJ Transit riders use the Northeast Corridor for nearly 200,000 daily trips."
There's no budget yet for how the money would be spent because the bill still faces several hurdles. But Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black said priorities would include upgraded switches, signals and electrical systems, which often cause delays.
"It is not fully in a state of good repair," Black said. Amtrak has been making improvements in recent years, including a new emergency exit system from the tunnels under the Hudson River, but "there's plenty of remaining projects that need to be accomplished, including replacement of some movable bridges."
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