[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 84 (Tuesday, June 10, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H5159]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  NATIONAL RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, tonight I rise in support of investing in 
our Nation's rail infrastructure and making rail transportation part of 
a strong transportation triad that includes highway, air, and rail. The 
freight rail industry is one that provides services that are key to the 
operation of practically every other industry.
  In an atmosphere of mounting highway congestion and pollution, 
shippers ought to be changing more and more of their loads to rail. 
However, due to the fact that trains are not moving fast enough, these 
switches to rail are not being made. With 19th century signaling 
systems and antiquated grade-level junctions, railroads are often 
unable to deliver a truck-competitive service for many shippers. For 
example, trains that should be able to move through Chicago in 6 to 8 
hours are taking over 2 days.
  While freight rail is a sensible, cost-effective way to absorb the 
expected increase in freight traffic, it is also becoming a major 
contributor to a variety of social ills, including air and noise 
pollution, congestion and a declining quality of life. Rail 
infrastructure improvements would raise the capacity of our 
transportation network for both goods and passengers; increase safety 
along the rail network; improve the environment wherever congestion is 
relieved; and eliminate waits at grade crossings. Since passenger rail 
service and rail-based transit systems typically share infrastructure 
with freight rail, improving freight rail infrastructure would also 
provide much-needed assistance to passenger and commuter rail.
  In January, the American Association of State Highway and 
Transportation Officials released their freight rail bottom line report 
that states that an additional 2.6 to $4 billion is needed annually for 
capital investment in our freight rail system. Last fall, the Federal 
Railroad Administration and the American Short Line and Regional 
Railroad Association commissioned a study that found short line 
railroads need nearly $7 billion to upgrade tracks and structures to 
handle the newer 286,000-pound rail cars used by the class I railroads.

                              {time}  2000

  So, how can we meet these growing rail capital needs? We cannot 
afford to simply rely on the railroads for these funds. The Association 
of American Railroads' policy position book for the 108th Congress 
states, ``Especially over the past couple of years, railroads have 
become increasingly constrained in how much capital they can devote to 
infrastructure spending.''
  The answer to this rail infrastructure funding gap is the bill I have 
introduced, the National Rail Infrastructure Program, H.R. 1617. H.R. 
1617 would create a new significant and dedicated stream of funds for 
rail projects. Just as we have the Highway Trust Fund and the Aviation 
Trust Fund, this legislation that I introduced last month would create 
a national rail infrastructure program. The total revenue stream in my 
legislation would amount to $3.3 billion annually.
  This is a Federal investment that the American public desperately 
wants. In fact, Strategies One, a Washington, D.C. polling firm, 
conducted a national public opinion poll that shows 63 percent of 
Americans strongly favor moving more freight by trains, especially when 
the alternative is adding to highway capacity larger and longer trucks.
  We cannot afford to sit back as freight and passenger traffic swells. 
We must craft a multi-modal solution to this capacity shortfall in 
which we can all win, or else we will all massively lose. Therefore, I 
urge Members to join the 40 bipartisan cosponsors and me and cosponsor 
H.R. 1617, the National Rail Infrastructure Program.

                          ____________________