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Rail News Home High-Speed Rail

7/15/2011



Rail News: High-Speed Rail

House expected to shift unobligated HSR funds to use for Midwestern flood relief


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Yesterday, the House took up the FY2012 Energy and Water Appropriations bill, which includes a provision to rescind $1 billion in unobligated High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail funds and use it for Mississippi River and Missouri River flood relief.

More than a dozen members of Congress spoke on the House floor in support of high-speed rail. However, the provision is expected to remain in the bill, which is expected to pass, said Chambers, Conlon & Hartwell L.L.C. Associate Katie Kachel — who also serves as lead client manager for the American High Speed Rail Alliance — in a July 14 e-mail. The House is expected to vote on the bill today.

If the Senate also rescinds the funds in its version of the 2012 energy/water appropriations measure, dozens of high-speed rail projects would be affected. For one, a handful of Midwestern states, as well as California would lose $268.2 million and $68 million, respectively, for a next-generation equipment purchase program.

The Bicameral High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Caucus has released a summary of other projects that would be affected. Following is a breakdown of those projects, with dollar amounts included for some.

Alabama:
• New passenger-rail service ($200,000)

California:
• Initial Central Valley construction project extension ($300 million)
• Los Angeles-to-Fullerton triple track ($38.3 million)
• Rail crossover program on the Pacific Surfliner corridor ($8.4 million)
• Yolo West crossover ($5 million)
• Pacific Surfliner corridor Oceanside stub project ($3.4 million)
• Pacific Surfliner corridor MOW spurs ($2 million)

Connecticut:
• New Haven-Springfield track connection ($30 million)

District of Columbia:
• Long Bridge preliminary engineering/NEPA study ($2.9 million)

Illinois:
• Merchant’s Bridge replacement ($13.5 million)

Indiana:
• Indiana Gateway Corridor ($71.4 million)

Iowa:
• Ottumwa subdivision crossover improvements ($17.3 million)

Maryland:
• Northeast Corridor bridge replacement ($22 million)

Massachusetts:
• New Haven-Springfield track connection ($30 million)
• Downeaster track improvements ($20.8 million)

Michigan:
• Dearborn station
• Kalamazoo-to-Dearborn service development
• Ann Arbor station project
• Troy station ($8.5 million)

Minnesota:
• Northern Lights Express ($5 million)

Missouri:
• Kansas City-St. Louis corridor’s Webster universal crossover project ($3.5 million)
• Lee’s Summit-to-Pleasant Hill double-track project on the Kansas City-St. Louis corridor
• Kansas City-St. Louis corridor’s Kingsville passing siding
• Kansas City-St. Louis corridor’s Strasburg grade separation
• Kansas City-St. Louis corridor’s Knob Noster passing siding extension
• Kansas City-St. Louis corridor’s Bonnots Mill universal crossover and Hermann universal crossover
• New rail bridge over the Osage River

New York:
• Northeast Corridor Harold Interlocking Amtrak bypass routes ($294.8 million)
• Empire Corridor capacity improvements, Empire Corridor South’s Albany-to-Schenectady second track and Empire Corridor South grade crossing improvements ($151.8 million)
• Empire corridor capacity improvements and southern Empire Corridor grade crossing improvements ($60.6 million)
• Empire Corridor West – Phase 1 third track between mileposts 382 and 393 ($58.1 million)
• Rochester station and track improvements ($1.4 million)

North Carolina:
• Charlotte-to-Richmond service enhancement and congestion mitigation projects ($30.5 million)

Oregon
:
• North Portland Jcts. and Willbridge projects ($2.1 million)
• Eugene Station stub tracks ($1.5 million)

Pennsylvania:
• Northeast Corridor power, signal, track and catenary improvements ($449.9 million)
• Keystone Corridor interlocking design ($6.3 million)
• Keystone Corridor automatic block signaling/central control
• Keystone Corridor grade crossing upgrades

Rhode Island:
• Kingston capacity and track improvements, and Kingston track and platform improvements ($26.2 million)
• Northeast Corridor Providence Station improvements ($3 million)

Texas:
• Dallas-Fort Worth-Houston core express service ($15 million)
• Valley View double-track project ($7.2 million)
• Crossing signal timing on BNSF Railway Co.’s Fort Worth sub ($3.7 million)

Virginia:
• Arkandle-to-Powell’s Creek third track ($74.8 million)
• Charlotte-to-Richmond service enhancement ($4 million)
• Long Bridge preliminary engineering and NEPA study ($2.9 million)

Washington:
• Port of Vancouver grade separation ($15 million)

Wisconsin:
• Milwaukee Station platform project and Truesdell crossovers ($14 million)