[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 66 (Wednesday, May 5, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H3163-H3166]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           NATIONAL TRAIN DAY

  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1301) supporting the goals 
and ideals of National Train Day, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1301

       Whereas in 1830, the Nation's first passenger and freight 
     railroad, the Baltimore & Ohio, revolutionized transportation 
     in the United States;
       Whereas on May 10, 1869, in Promontory Summit, Utah, the 
     golden spike was driven into the final tie that joined 1,776 
     miles of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railways, 
     transforming America by creating the Nation's first 
     transcontinental railroad;
       Whereas by 1910, trains carried 95 percent of all intercity 
     transportation;
       Whereas after 1920, rail passenger revenues declined due to 
     the rise of the automobile;
       Whereas in the 1930s, railroads reignited popular 
     imagination with service improvements and new, diesel-powered 
     streamliners;
       Whereas on May 26, 1934, the Pioneer Zephyr set a speed 
     record for travel between Denver and Chicago when it made a 
     1,015-mile, non-stop ``Dawn-to-Dusk'' run in 13 hours and 5 
     minutes at an average speed of 77 miles per hour and, during 
     one section of the run, reached a speed of 112.5 miles per 
     hour, just short of the then United States land speed record 
     of 115 miles per hour;
       Whereas on January 22, 1935, the 400, later named the Twin 
     Cities 400, traveled 400 miles between Chicago and St. Paul 
     in 400 minutes;
       Whereas at its inception in 1935, Time magazine dubbed the 
     400, ``the fastest train scheduled on the American continent, 
     fastest in all the world on a stretch over 200 miles'';
       Whereas the resurgence in passenger railroading was short-
     lived, as the continuing rise of the automobile, the 
     devastating economic impact of two World Wars, the creation 
     of the Interstate Highway System, the increasing 
     availability, comfort, and convenience of air travel, 
     increasing train fares and decreasing service, and a number 
     of railroad bankruptcies, mergers, and acquisitions took 
     their toll on passenger rail service in the United States;
       Whereas by 1965, only 10,000 rail passenger cars were in 
     operation, 85 percent fewer than in 1929, and passenger rail 
     service was provided on only 75,000 miles of track;
       Whereas in 1970, Congress saved passenger rail service in 
     the United States by creating the National Railroad Passenger 
     Corporation, known as Amtrak;
       Whereas since 1970, the Federal Government has invested 
     nearly $1,300,000,000,000 in our Nation's highways, more than 
     $484,000,000,000 in aviation, and $67,000,000,000 in 
     passenger rail;
       Whereas with the enactment of the Passenger Rail Investment 
     and Improvement Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-432) in the 110th 
     Congress and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 
     2009 (Public Law 111-5) in this Congress, Congress charted a 
     new course for Amtrak and for the development of high-speed 
     and intercity passenger rail in the United States;
       Whereas the Recovery Act provided $8,000,000,000 in grants 
     to States for the development of high-speed and intercity 
     passenger rail and $1,300,000,000 for Amtrak for capital, 
     safety, and security improvements;
       Whereas the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, 
     and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010, provided an 
     additional $2,500,000,000 to States for investment in high-
     speed and intercity passenger rail and more than 
     $1,500,000,000 to Amtrak for capital and operating expenses;
       Whereas the Federal Railroad Administration received 259 
     applications totaling $57,000,000,000 for the $8,000,000,000 
     in funds available under the Recovery Act;
       Whereas in January, the President announced the recipients 
     of the $8,000,000,000 in Recovery Act funds for development 
     of high-speed and intercity passenger rail service in 13 
     corridors spanning 31 States;
       Whereas Amtrak has selected projects in 44 States to invest 
     its $1,300,000,000 in Recovery Act funds;
       Whereas these and continued investments in developing a 
     national high-speed and intercity passenger rail system will 
     revitalize passenger rail service in the United States, help 
     develop a domestic manufacturing base for high-speed and 
     intercity passenger rail, and create good jobs in the United 
     States;
       Whereas Amtrak ridership grew every year from 1998 to 2008 
     and the railroad carried 27,200,000 passengers in 2009, 
     making it the second-best year in the company's history; and
       Whereas Amtrak has designated May 8, 2010, as National 
     Train Day to celebrate America's love for trains: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) recognizes the important contributions that trains and 
     Amtrak make to the national transportation system;
       (2) supports the goals and ideals of National Train Day as 
     designated by Amtrak; and
       (3) urges the people of the United States to recognize such 
     a day as an opportunity to celebrate passenger rail and learn 
     more about trains.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Corrine Brown) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Shuster) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida.


                             General Leave

  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I ask that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
on H. Res. 1301.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of 
this resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Rail in America is experiencing a renaissance we haven't seen in 50 
years. All forms of passenger rail, including Amtrak, are seeing 
increased ridership numbers. In fact, in 2009 Amtrak welcomed aboard 
over 27.1 million passengers, the second-largest annual total in 
Amtrak's history, an average of more than 74,000 passenger rides and 
more than 300 Amtrak trains per day.
  For me, as chair of the Rail Subcommittee, the eventual goal is to 
have high-speed intercity passenger, and commuter rail lines connecting 
nationwide to serve as an enhancement to our current systems of 
transportation.

[[Page H3164]]

  Moreover, if a nationwide high-speed and intercity passenger rail 
system is realized, it will not only serve as a tremendous benefit to 
our Nation's transportation needs but will also be a superb asset 
toward getting people back to work by creating quality jobs in our 
economy's manufacturing sector. In some areas, like where the Sunset 
Limited used to operate, it is a homeland security issue. If the United 
States was hit by a natural or manmade disaster, we need a functional 
system that will move citizens out of harm's way.
  There is no doubt that increasing the use of passenger and freight 
rail is the best way for our Nation to address the environmental and 
energy-related challenges we face today. Freight railroads, for 
example, have made major gains in fuel efficiency through training and 
improved locomotive technology. Indeed, a single intermodal train can 
take up to 280 trucks off of our highways. And one gallon of diesel 
fuel can move a ton of freight an average of 414 miles, a 76-percent 
improvement since 1980, while General Electric has recently unveiled 
the world's first hybrid locomotive.

                              {time}  1330

  In addition, passenger rail's ability to reduce congestion is well-
known, and their ridership numbers are increasing steadily each year. 
One full passenger train in fact can take 250 to 300 cars off the road. 
Passenger rail also consumes much less energy than automobiles and 
commercial airlines. As we have seen with the horrible oil spills on 
our Gulf Coast, with estimates of 5,000 barrels floating into the sea 
every day, it is clear we need a new way of doing things in the 
transportation arena.
  Our committee has hit the rails, having a national dialogue with 
America about the future of the U.S. transportation system. Just two 
weeks ago, I led a Whistle Stop Rail Tour to promote high-speed and 
intercity passenger rail in the United States. We started in 
Washington, traveled to upstate New York, and ended up in Chicago where 
we conducted a major hearing on rail issues. We are planning additional 
events in Texas, California, Oregon, and throughout the United States.
  All along the way, we saw stimulus dollars going toward improving our 
transportation infrastructure and creating jobs for the local 
workforce. In that particular region in upstate New York, rail 
manufacturing could very well replace the good jobs in those towns that 
were sent overseas.
  Just Saturday, I rode with Amtrak as they tested the current Florida 
East Coast Railroad line from Jacksonville to Miami for passenger 
service. And on Monday, we held the latest in a series of high-speed 
rail hearings in Miami, Florida. Everywhere we have gone, we have 
gotten very strong support for Amtrak service and high-speed rail. The 
only complaint I have heard is that there wasn't enough money and it 
wasn't coming fast enough.
  Over the past 50 years, the Federal Government has invested nearly 
$1.3 trillion in our Nation's highways and more than $484 billion in 
aviation. Unfortunately, since 1970 when Congress created Amtrak, we 
have just invested $67 billion in intercity passenger rail, including 
Amtrak.
  Now, I have always assured everyone that the $8 billion in the 
Recovery Act was just a down payment and there would be more planning 
and construction dollars coming in the near future. But we need to get 
serious about funding high-speed rail. With just $1 billion budgeted 
for fiscal year 2011, we need to find a dedicated revenue source so 
that States, operators, stakeholders, and manufacturers aren't afraid 
to make investments in infrastructure and manpower.
  In fact, I feel so passionate about it that I spearheaded a letter 
that over 100 Members signed to President Obama requesting that he 
include a dedicated source of revenue for high-speed rail in the 
transportation reauthorization policy objective that the administration 
is developing.
  We still have a lot of work to do before the first passengers board 
high-speed trains in the United States, but we are off to a great start 
with the investment made in the Recovery Act.
  I encourage all of my colleagues to show their support for this 
resolution and the new age of rail in America. This is a giant step in 
the right direction.
  Let's roll, baby, roll. Toot toot. That's it.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SHUSTER. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the enthusiasm of the 
chairwoman of the subcommittee, and I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  The ceremonial golden spike hammered at Promontory Summit, Utah, on 
May 10, 1869, marked the completion of the transcontinental railroad, 
one of the greatest engineering masterpieces and, I might add, was 
spearheaded by the Republican President, Abraham Lincoln. It also 
marked the birth of what would become the greatest rail network in the 
world. One hundred forty-one years later, we are still reaping the 
benefits of our ancestors' visions.
  The United States now has over 140,000 miles of railroads making up 
the transportation backbone of the Nation. Our railroads are 
environmentally friendly, producing significantly less pollution than 
other modes of transportation. A train can haul one ton of freight 436 
miles on one gallon of diesel fuel, and it is three times cleaner than 
a truck. Trains also help to alleviate the congestion of our crowded 
highways across America. One train can actually take 280 trucks off the 
road.
  Railroads have also enjoyed a remarkable resurgence since the 
bankruptcies, disinvestment, and decay of the 1970s. The rail 
deregulation law of 1980, the Staggers Act, has been an unparalleled 
success. We must take great care to protect the regulatory environment 
that has allowed railroads to thrive and resist any effort that would 
undo all the progress this industry has made.
  Two years ago, President Bush signed into a law an Amtrak 
reauthorization that will take this country into the next generation of 
passenger rail service. The law makes important reforms to Amtrak and 
also creates a role for the private sector in the passenger rail 
industry.
  The Amtrak reauthorization law, the first in more than a decade, 
created the framework for public-private partnerships for the 
construction and operation of high-speed rail corridors all over this 
Nation. High-speed rail promises safe, fast, convenient service, all 
while helping to alleviate aviation and highway congestion.
  The railroad industry is vitally important to this country and this 
economy, and I urge the passage of H. Res. 1301 to celebrate National 
Train Day on May 8, 2010.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he 
may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the chair 
of the committee and our transportation guru.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I tip my hat also 
to the Member of Congress whom I call ``Ms. Amtrak,'' ``Ms. Passenger 
Rail,'' whose passion is evident; who works tirelessly day and night, 
week after week, to advance the cause of passenger rail in this 
country, and has been very successful at it, mobilizing public opinion, 
igniting public imagination. And I appreciate the comments of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), who has been a very 
constructive and enthusiastic partner in shaping passenger rail.
  I would say to the gentleman, while the Bush administration twice 
submitted bankruptcy budgets for Amtrak and twice proposed putting 
Amtrak up for sale in the private marketplace, there were Members on 
both sides of the aisle who joined together, including the gentleman, 
to restore funding for Amtrak to keep it going. The gentleman's 
fingerprints are all over the Amtrak authorization bill that President 
Bush signed. That same President Bush, who once said we should 
terminate Amtrak, signed the bill with a whole new future for Amtrak. 
And Mr. Mica as well, who is, unfortunately, not here on the floor but 
who nonetheless played a very significant role in shaping a new future 
for Amtrak and, as the gentleman from Pennsylvania said, opening the 
door for private investment in each of the corridors that we crafted in 
the Amtrak authorization.
  The Pacific Railway Act over 148 years ago really is the beginning 
point

[[Page H3165]]

for our discussion today and for all discussion on passenger rail. That 
was the day that President Lincoln signed the legislation that gave the 
Central Pacific Railroad the right to build rail lines from Sacramento 
east and chartered the Union Pacific to build rail lines from the 
Missouri River west.
  I would recommend to anyone who is interested in passenger rail to 
make a trip to Sacramento, to the rail museum in that city. It is a 
splendid panorama, a stunning sweep of history, of development of both 
freight and passenger rail, how the railroads were built, the people 
who built them, the ethnic diversity of those who worked on the laying 
of the track, and the competition going from west to east and east to 
west. It is a striking march through history. It gives the viewer a 
deeper appreciation of our rich history of freight and passenger rail.
  The joining of the two just 7 years later, in 1869, was in those 
times a remarkable timeframe. I think today with modern equipment we 
might have built those two lines a lot faster. But 1,776 miles of the 
Central Pacific and Union Pacific joined at Promontory Summit in Utah.
  Not long after, the first transcontinental trip took 83 hours and 39 
minutes from New York City to San Francisco. By 1910, which was really 
the peak time for passenger rail, 95 percent of all intercity travel 
was by rail. By 1920, the railroads carried 1.2 million passengers. The 
automobile was making its way into our consciousness and taking over 
and giving Americans a difference of travel and experience and freedom 
of access.
  It is interesting that in 1920 cars accounted for 50 miles of travel 
a year for the average citizen and 450 miles per year for trains, but 
10 years later, that had just turned around. Americans were driving 
over 1,600, nearly 1,700 miles a year in their cars and only 219 miles 
on average by train.
  That continued to progress until after World War II, the railroads 
saw more advantage in freight, passenger traffic was dropping off, and 
the railroads joined with the U.S. Post Office to take the overnight 
mail off the passenger service. The RPOs began to disappear. That 
reduced revenue to the railroads. The railroads could then petition the 
ICC for discontinuance.
  By the end of the decade of the 1960s, passenger rail was on life 
support, and Congress created the National Railroad Passenger 
Corporation, which we know today as Amtrak.

                              {time}  1345

  There is now a rail revival happening all across the land. And that 
is what this resolution is intended to do, support the goals and ideals 
of National Train Day.
  Everywhere I travel, in almost every city that ever had a rail 
service there is either a caboose or an old locomotive at the entrance 
to the community. People celebrate their rail history. But they also 
want to bring back active service. Just as in transit, Americans are 
voting with their feet. A million new transit riders a day. And so with 
passenger rail.
  We all remember the tragedy of September 11, 2001, when the only way 
you could travel intercity, apart from your automobile, was on Amtrak. 
And the revival of interest in both transit and in intercity passenger 
rail has just gone apace since then.
  President Obama made a commitment to intercity passenger rail, 
putting $8 billion on the table in the stimulus package. That was more 
in 1 year than Amtrak had received in several years. It's a down 
payment, as he said, and as Chairwoman Brown had said and others have 
observed. Now we are seeing the implementation of those funds by the 
various corridors to which those stimulus dollars were allocated.
  It is up to us, and our committee will continue to hold oversight 
hearings observing the implementation of those funds to ensure they are 
wisely invested, that the commitments made are followed through. We 
will move America along. We are starting slowly.
  Goodness, there is passenger rail track that is part of this that's 
only 35 miles an hour today because that's passenger rail going on 
freight rail track that has been allowed to deteriorate. There are 
other corridors where freight rail has been built up, and the 
investment in the corridor has been robust, and where there is room for 
passenger rail, but we have to separate the two. And we recognize that 
we have to have passenger rail partnering with freight rail.
  The gentleman from Pennsylvania has been quite a strong advocate for 
that. And we all recognize we need to move more goods by rail for the 
economy's sake, for the environment's sake. By the way, I would say to 
the gentleman that 436 miles a ton on a gallon of fuel was updated 
yesterday for me by the Association of American Rail. They say it is 
now 483 miles on a gallon of fuel for a ton of freight. Locomotives are 
improving in their efficiency. The track beds are improving. And we are 
going to do even more in the future.
  But we are pikers with that $8 billion. The European economic 
community, European Union, the transport ministry has a $1.4 trillion, 
20-year investment plan, they are halfway through doing it now, to 
build 7,000 additional miles of high-speed intercity passenger rail, 
real high-speed, 200 miles an hour. We will get there eventually. We 
are almost back where we were in 1890 in making the investment in 
passenger rail, except that those corridors that remain for freight, in 
which passenger is a lively, active participant, or a possibility, have 
been upgraded, and now we need to make the next step upgrades to class 
six, seven, and eight rail where we can have speeds in excess of 150 
miles an hour.
  It's going to take a huge amount of capital investment. But Spain has 
committed $140 billion into their high speed rail system, the Talgo. 
One hundred forty billion dollars for a country with 42 million people. 
That is an enormous commitment on their part, and shows visionary steps 
toward their future. But they will have 186- to 200-mile an hour, 220-
mile an hour intercity passenger rail service. We can do no less in 
America. We must do no less in America.
  China is completing an 800-plus mile link from Beijing to Shanghai. 
That is the distance from Boston to Richmond on the East Coast. In that 
Boston-Richmond corridor are 36 million people. In Beijing-Shanghai 
there are nearly 100 million people. You will be able to travel that 
distance, though, in 4 hours on 220-mile an hour steel on steel rail.
  We can't let China, Japan with the Shinkansen, South Korea with their 
high speed rail system, and all the European systems get so far ahead 
of us. They are now, but we will catch up. And when we do, people will 
look back and say the goals and ideals of National Train Day moved us 
in that direction.
  And this Congress, both sides of the aisle, and the partnership that 
we have formed, keeping vigil over the future investments in passenger 
rail can rightly take credit for moving America along that path toward 
a great recapturing of our past and making it a greater future.
  Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res 
1301, Supporting the Goals and Ideals of National Train Day. I want to 
thank my colleague and friend Chairwoman Brown for her tireless efforts 
and leadership on behalf of the rail.
  Looking back, this past year has been one of the most exciting years 
for rail in quite some time and we have a lot to celebrate on National 
Train Day. With the Obama Administration's focus on bringing high-speed 
rail to this country and the funding they have dedicated towards high-
speed rail, the future of rail seems brighter now than it has in a long 
time.
  Just this past month I helped form the California High-Speed Rail 
Caucus. The Caucus is working to bring a world class high-speed rail 
system to California. My home State of California received $2.3 billion 
dollars of American Recovery and Reinvestment Funds to build a high-
speed rail system, and this is on top of the voter approved bond 
measure which will provide nearly $10 billion for the system.
  The California High-speed rail line is projected to create 160,000 
construction jobs in California to plan, design, and build the system. 
It is also estimated that an additional 450,000 jobs will be created 
once the system is up and running. The rail line is expected to reduce 
congestion, increase mobility, improve air quality, and reduce fatal 
auto accidents, and it could serve as a model that can be replicated 
across the country to create a national world-class rail system.
  I am glad to be recognizing National Train Day with such excitement 
across the country with the reemergence of rail as a viable 
transportation alternative. The United States is finally taking steps 
to catch up with the rest of the world and create a truly world class 
rail system.

[[Page H3166]]

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in 
support of H. Res. 1301 to recognize the goals and ideals of National 
Train Day.
  America's rail network is one of its greatest treasures, and I am 
pleased to support Congresswoman Brown's resolution in support of 
National Train Day. This year marks the third annual celebration with 
family-oriented events that provide opportunities to explore 
interactive and educational exhibits on the ways trains have 
transformed our country. This year we also celebrate 141 years of 
connecting travelers from coast to coast as the first transcontinental 
railroad was completed on May 10, 1869. On that day in Promontory 
Summit, Utah, the ``golden spike'' was driven into the final tie that 
joined 1,776 miles of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railways, 
linking the east and west coasts by rail for the first time.
  In Texas we have several events lined up to celebrate National Train 
Day, and Dallas' Union Station will be one of 13 Texas train stations 
participating in National Train Day. The event will feature train 
equipment displays, entertainment, balloon makers, and face painters, 
and additionally, the Dallas Museum of the American Railroad will 
display its 1931 M-180 Doodlebug and a heritage Pullman Sleeping Car.
  Madam Speaker, trains have truly transformed America over the last 
two centuries, adding to our national character and making us a more 
efficient and mobile country. I ask my fellow colleagues to join me 
today in supporting the goals and ideals of National Train Day and 
recognizing the contributions that trains have made to our national 
transportation system.
  Mr. SHUSTER. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I have no further 
requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Corrine Brown) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1301, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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