Lawmakers call for removal of rail provision during highway bill conference

A bipartisan pair of lawmakers is calling for the panel of lawmakers tapped to negotiate an agreement on a new federal transportation bill to remove a provision dealing with high-speed rail from the Senate's version of the measure.

Reps. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) and Randy Hultgren (R-Ill.) said Thursday that lawmakers should remove a provision in the $109 billion transportation bill that was approved by the Senate earlier this year that allows federal funds to be spent on train locomotives that are only capable of running at 110 miles-per-hour.

Instead, the lawmakers said, the version of the transportation bill that emerges from the conference committee -- if one does emerge -- should raise the limit to 125 miles-per-hour.

“Maintaining the speed of 125 mph ensures that America’s passenger railroad system will be more modern, efficient and attractive to riders," the lawmakers wrote in a letter to the conference committee. "Faster passenger trains mean less travel time, and less travel time increases both ridership and revenue. Moreover, diesel-electric locomotives designed for 125 mph use less fuel, and impose less wear-and-tear on train tracks, train-wheels and switches.”

The Senate's version of the transportation bill (S. 1813) would provide funding for road and transit projects over the next two years. The bill was amended to lower the requirement for high-speed rail locomotives after a federal panel recommended 125 miles-per-hour.

Supporters of lowering the speed of the locomotives argued that the faster trains may not be compatible with existing tracks, but Matsui and Hultgren argued that was not a valid concern.

"The most utilized and profitable passenger railroad lines in the U.S. can already support trains traveling at 125 mph, and there is an ongoing effort in the U.S. to upgrade more tracks to support 125 mph," the lawmakers wrote. "As we strive to build a world-lass rail system, we need to increase performance and efficiency, while reducing emissions and addressing other environmental factors.

"Locomotives last in service for at least 25 years, so procuring 110 mph locomotives now would lock America's passenger railroad network out of faster, more popular and more efficient service for a generation."

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