H.R. 6003 would reauthorize Amtrak.
Detailed Summary
Some major points, summarized from the full synopsis accessible at http://www.narprail.org/cms/index.php/main/hr_6003/
- 5-year re-authorization of Amtrak
- $500 million available annually for state grants
- Buy America law applies, requiring domestic manufacture for capital purchases over $100,000
- Amtrak self-sufficiency requirement repealed.
- Amtrak within 9 months of enactment, is to issue plan for the restoration of service between New Orleans and Sanford, Florida including projected timeline, costs of restoring and proposals for legislation needed. $1 Million authorized for preparation of plan.
- Amtrak with other bodies including unions and rail passenger advocacy groups to develop new metrics and minimum standards to measure train performance.
- New Contracts with host railroads to incorporate metrics and minimum standards where practical.
- DOT-IG to evaluate performance of intercity rail services 6 months after establishment of metric and minimum standards. Using those standards, IG to identify in a report to Congress, the five worst performing Amtrak routes. At the same time IG to establish criteria for evaluating routes not currently being served by Amtrak and to compare proposals by Amtrak and other proposed service providers on how to serve the underperforming and unserved routes. The IG would then recommend 1 route currently not being served and 2 of the 5 worst performing routes to Congress for action. DOT Secretary prohibited from implementing recommendation until authorized by Congress.
- Establishes a committee to design, develop specifications for and to procure standardized next generation corridor equipment. May establish a pool of equipment for corridor use.
- Comptroller General of the United States to study and compare passenger rail systems in United States with Canada, Germany, France, Great Britain, China, Spain & Japan.
Status of the Legislation
Latest Major Action: 6/12/2008: Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 779.
Points in Favor
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Points Against
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Visitor Comments
Richard Trask
Trains are part of the answer to soaring gasoline prices. We need more and faster trains, a new priority and commitment to rail as an essential alternative to overcrowded highways and skyways. We need full and enabling funding for Amtrak and high-speed rail initiatives to meet this growing need in the U.S., on the model of systems such as the TGV in France. Vigorously and enthusiastically support H.R. 6003 as an imperative part in this process!
Susan Donovan
This bill is coing and the right time. Ridership on Amtrak is up, people need more options and the price of gas soars.
John J. Weaver
I am for this bill, but with a lot of reservations! In a way I feel that we may just be throwing money away. What we need is a high speed rail system that will take a whole new rail system, instead of patching the Amtrack Rail System that is and has been on the verge of collapse for years! The system is running on rails that are so out of date and in such disrepair that it wouldn't ever be feasible to run a decent passenger system on them. First it would be too dangerous, second, the rail system is too crowded with the freight system. There is a very real need for an updated rail system in the United States, but I don't know that this patch is the answer!
David Cook
I just copied and pasted John Weaver's message. I could not have said it any better. "I am for this bill, but with a lot of reservations! In a way I feel that we may just be throwing money away. What we need is a high speed rail system that will take a whole new rail system, instead of patching the Amtrack Rail System that is and has been on the verge of collapse for years! The system is running on rails that are so out of date and in such disrepair that it wouldn't ever be feasible to run a decent passenger system on them. First it would be too dangerous, second, the rail system is too crowded with the freight system. There is a very real need for an updated rail system in the United States, but I don't know that this patch is the answer!"
Jan
Amtrak is an important service that is needed for our country. However, this is a great deal of money. Why do we not see any positive impact in our communities for all the money spent? There are no high speed rail projects that I am aware of. The few rail systems that are in place are very slow lumbering systems much like the bus systems. It is very difficult to use the rail for travel. I wanted to see my daughter in Dallas and I am in Arizona. I would have to board a long distance away in the middle of the night and travel all the way across the country to Chicago and back to get to Texas. It just seems to me that we could provide better service than this for the billions being spent. It is not that we mind paying taxes. It is maddening however to spend so much and receive so little in the way of convenient services back to us.
Johnny
Why not spend money on the rail system and the whole country? The politicians take what they want and don,t seem to care at all about the United States! I am for spending money on any kind of rail--as long as it helps the American people. Its time we come FIRTS !
TPIP
There are MANY reasons we need to invest in rail in this country--for the environment, for energy independence, for national security, for consumers...we can't keep wasting energy like we have been, and I think these out of control gas prices are probably a blessing, because they are making us start to think again. Too bad it took this to make it happen.
joe hines
congress,all of you have betrayed the american people,congress you have destroyed this country. I dont see just how all of you can look at your self's in the mirror are live with your self's. all of you are just as guilty of crimes as g.w.bush. may GOD have mercy upon your souls. why have all of you sold your souls to the devil?. Those of you who were bought and paid for, guess what congress. The money that you were given, well it has bought all of you a one way ticket to hell. THE MEEK SHELL INHERIT THE EARTH, not the greede.
Chuck
$34.00 per person is one of the better programs out there. But why spend $1 million and take 9 months to do a study on restoration of Orlando to New Orleans service? Give me the money and I'll start running it tomorrow.
Carrick
It would have been nice if we'd skipped invading Iraq, and spent a fraction of that money on a rail system that would dramatically decrease our oil & diesel consumption. Trains get nearly 400+ miles to a gallon of gasoline per ton. I don't know how real or long-lasting the price of oil and food commodities are, but a first-class rail system would probably take the wind out of them - and created a lot of really good paying jobs in the process.
We could have spent another bit on creating a 21st century education system and devoted our private time and attention to our families and alleviating poverty, instead of worrying about a war.
Carrick
Moreover, the amount of transparency and oversight available today could have made the bidding and construction process a could have been a 21st Century model for fiscal responsibility, citizen involvement and engineering excellence in public works projects.