advertisement

---

Last week, the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) honored U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) with its Golden Spike Award for his “unflagging support for passenger trains.”

Inouye has been a staunch supporter of Amtrak, even though the national intercity passenger railroad does not operate in his home state, NARP officials noted while presenting the award in Washington, D.C., last week.

NARP President Ross Capon noted that it was particularly fitting that Inouye received recognition a day after the U.S. Department of Transportation issued its invitation to U.S. manufacturers and suppliers to bid on a contract to build 130 new, bi-level passenger rail cars.

“The senator’s leadership was a key driver in the passage of the law that laid the foundation for this equipment,” said in a prepared statement.

Inouye also has advocated for the Honolulu Rail Transit project, a new passenger-rail line that now is under construction and scheduled to open in 2015.

NARP presents its Golden Spike Awards annually to honor individuals for supporting a fully developed train network and showing leadership in promoting rail development.