Good morning. I am so pleased to join you today in Raleigh on behalf of President Bush and Transportation Secretary Mineta.

I want to thank David (King) for his work to bring this event about, and also Dr. Samuels and Norfolk Southern for hosting us here at Glenwood Yard. I also want to recognize Tom Betts of the North Carolina Transportation Board, who has taken such a strong interest in rail safety.

We are very fortunate today to be standing with representatives of the North Carolina DOT and Norfolk Southern Railway. Both have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to rail safety and partnership in corridor development which will benefit both freight and passenger rail.

Norfolk Southern leads the nation’s railroad industry in promoting and achieving safety in numerous areas.

The State of North Carolina has taken the lead in developing improved passenger rail service in the Southeastern States to increase investments in faster, less congested, and more environmental friendly passenger rail transportation.

Working at the U.S. Department of Transportation provides me an opportunity to see first-hand how transportation affects the lives of all Americans, and particularly how railroads are a vital segment of the nation’s transportation system.

With regard to freight rail –

Of all the ways freight is moved in America —by truck, by ship, by plane— railroads account for 42 percent of the market.

Thanks to a robust economic recovery under President Bush, railroad freight volumes and traffic are at record levels.

· To handle this dramatically increased demand, freight railroads have ordered thousands of new locomotives and railcars; and hired over 10,000 employees this year alone. The railroad industry plans to hire up to 80 thousand more employees during the next few years.

This hiring spree by the railroads has contributed to the 1.9 million new jobs created nationally in the past 13 months.

With regard to passenger rail --

N.C. has led the combined efforts to develop the federally designated high-speed Southeastern Rail Corridor from Washington, D.C. to Atlanta.

In 1992, FRA designated Washington to Charlotte, via Raleigh and Greensboro, as one of five developing high speed corridors.

To date, the U.S. Department of Transportation has provided North Carolina almost $15 million for corridor development, with the State providing over $1.5 million.

We at the Federal Railroad Administration are delighted to partner in improvements in rail transportation. At the same time, we never lose sight of our primary responsibility -- rail safety. And one vital area is highway-rail grade crossing safety.

All too often vehicles and trains collide or individuals are struck by trains while walking on or near railroad property, resulting in needless deaths and life-altering injuries. An incredible 96 % of all rail-related fatalities are due to vehicle-train collisions or railroad trespass incidents.

The FRA continuously strives to improve safety at the nation’s 251 thousand public and private crossings. And we’ve made significant progress.

Since 1994:

The number of vehicle-train collisions has decreased by 41 percent, to a record low; and

The number of fatalities has decreased by 47 percent, also to an all-time low.

This past summer, the U.S. DOT issued a new Highway-Rail Crossing Safety and Trespass Prevention Action Plan, which builds upon the successes and lessons learned since the first one was issued in 1994. The Action Plan emphasizes the importance of partnerships such as those we are recognizing today.

Your State of North Carolina serves as a model for other states nationwide in addressing grade crossing safety.

The Sealed Corridor initiative was proposed for the Raleigh to Charlotte Corridor in 1994 by the North Carolina DOT as a logical and cost-effective solution to the grade crossing problem. To develop high-speed corridors, strategic highway-rail grade crossing improvements are imperative. But the approach may also be applied to grade crossings outside of high-speed corridors.

A study undertaken for FRA estimated that in the first 3 years of NC’s Sealed Corridor initiative, five motorist fatalities were prevented.

So I am very pleased to announce today that we are partnering with North Carolina and Norfolk Southern on another project that exemplifies the crucial role public-private partnerships can play in advancing grade crossing safety.

FRA is providing 482 thousand dollars in federal grant funding to NCDOT and Norfolk Southern to collect and analyze video captured from cameras mounted on passenger and freight locomotives.

This is the first time there will be extensive use of real-time video to study grade crossing collisions and trespass incidents. Norfolk Southern has been a pioneer in testing this technology and has these cameras installed in about 850 of their locomotives.

Now data will be collected from passenger trains in North Carolina and from Norfolk Southern freight operations in 22 states.

What we learn from this research will be used to better protect lives at grade crossings and prevent trespass incidents throughout the country.

I am also pleased to announce today a grant of $795,000 to support the design and construction of a pedestrian underpass in the town of Clayton.

The underpass will provide a safe, secure, and convenient path for pedestrians from a residential neighborhood to reach the downtown area with its grocery stores, shopping, jobs, and government offices.

The underpass will be used as a model of how a smart investment can dramatically improve rail safety. Not only will pedestrians be separated from train traffic along a section of track that has a history of trespass incidents, safety will be increased at other locations by allowing for the closure of three additional grade crossings.

Let me conclude by again thanking Norfolk Southern and NC DOT for their dedication and leadership in grade crossing safety.

It is a pleasure to support your outstanding work with the grants announced here today.