[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 80 (Thursday, May 15, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E943]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           NATIONAL TRAIN DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 13, 2008

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support of H. 
Res. 1176, Supporting the goals and ideals of National Train Day, as a 
Member who appreciates and recognizes the vital role of trains in our 
economy and as a passenger who commutes between New York and 
Washington, DC, on the Amtrak Acela. I find my commute by train a 
convenient, efficient and relaxing way to travel that enables me to 
read and work in comfort and arrive refreshed, usually on time, and 
downtown, closer to my destination. I praise the efforts of visionary 
leaders who over the years have advocated the preservation and 
modernization of passenger rail service.
  Trains have played a vital and historic role in this country, 
transporting cargo and passengers since the early 19th century, when 
the first steam locomotive was built by engineer George Stephenson. 
Without the creation of the steam engine, the Industrial Revolution 
would not have occurred and our great country would not have been able 
to prosper as much as it has. In 1869, the first transcontinental 
railroad was completed. Known as the `golden pike,' it connected both 
the east and west coast of the United States, linking our Nation and 
bridging the geographical divide like never before.
  Although there are a greater number of modes of transportation--
planes, cars, buses--than there were in the early 1800s, trains are 
still relied on to transport large amounts of freight and millions of 
people everyday. They have reduced congestion in major cities, helping 
to reduce pollution connecting people in rural areas to urban centers.
  The history of trains has come a long way, from burning coal and 
going only 130 km/h to high-speed trains that can go from 200 km/h to 
350 km/h and are electrically driven by overhead cables. Trains are 
constantly changing and improving. Due to global warming and greenhouse 
effects, trains now run more fuel efficiently, emitting only 0.2 
percent of the travel industry's total greenhouse gases.
  I support National Train Day because the train industry has been an 
important part of America's story and its economic development, as well 
as a large part of Americans' day-to-day lives.

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