Washington, D.C. -  Rep. Timothy V. Johnson today praised the passage of the Passsenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act as a singularly historic development for the nation’s rail corridors and the nation’s travelers.

“People are being pummeled by the cost of gas. Our highways are congested. Our airlines are cutting service. This legislation for the first time in years provides a multi-year commitment to a cost-effective, environmentally friendly alternative – our nation’s passenger rail system,” Rep. Johnson said.

“The legislation is also particularly important for Illinois and the 15th Congressional District,” added Rep. Johnson, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee that drew up the bill. “In the District, we have three major public universities and thousands upon thousands of students alone who depend on this service. At least 30 percent of the ridership in Illinois is due to college students.

“These routes in Illinois are working and depended on by many people, and now more than ever,” he continued. “From 06 to 07, ridership on the Chicago-Champaign-Carbondale lines increased 67 percent and that was when gasoline was almost half what it is now.”

The bill reauthorizes Amtrak for five years and includes reforms of the current Amtrak bureaucracy. The legislation also increases the authorization for state grants to support passenger rail operations. Amtrak operations and passenger rail service across the nation will be improved via the following provisions:

• Reducing waste at Amtrak through an updated accounting system, development of a five-year plan and bolstered accountability for management.
• Authorization of more than $500 million per year for an innovative state grant program for passenger rail projects.
• Permitting private operators to start a pilot program for new passenger service on freight-owned tracks on the worst-performing Amtrak lines.
• Extending Buy America protections to ensure that our infrastructure is built and operated using U.S-made goods.

The legislation further directs the Secretary of Transportation to issue a request-for-    proposals for the development of high-speed rail between Washington, D.C., and New York City.

“We are behind the times and behind the Western world in the development of high-speed passenger rail, especially in this busy corridor,” Rep. Johnson said. “This is intended to lead to a more extensive network of high-speed passenger rail corridors in other busy corridors of the country. People are desperate for alternatives and this is certainly a meaningful alternative that will make a difference in people’s lives.”

The major funding provision of the bill authorizes $14.9 billion for Amtrak capital and operating grants, state intercity passenger grants, and high-speed rail over the next five years.

The bill authorizes $4.2 billion (an average of $840 mill per year) to Amtrak for capital grants and $3 billion (an average of $606 million a year) for operating grants.

Past inconsistent federal support has hampered Amtrak’s ability to replace equipment.

###