Rail Passengers Association to honor U.S. Rep. Lipinski

The Rail Passengers Association next month will present its Golden Spike Award to U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.).

Lipinski — who chairs the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials — is being honored for "his 15 years of work in Congress for a safer passenger-rail network, more reliable commuter-rail and transit service, and better relationships between railroads and the communities they serve," association officials said in a press release.

Lipinski's Illinois district has more rail crossings than any other U.S. congressional district. During his 12 years on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, he has introduced legislation to ensure the safe transportation of freight by rail, support and create new rail manufacturing jobs and help secure hundreds of millions of dollars in investment toward the Chicago Regional Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE), a public-private project aimed at easing road and rail congestion in northeastern Illinois.

"Chairman Lipinski has earned his railroad stripes honestly — by representing passengers, railroad workers and trackside communities for over 15 years,” said Jim Mathews, the association's president and chief executive officer. "We look forward to working with him on the current rail reauthorization and finally building a passenger rail network that all Americans can be proud of."

The association will honor Lipinski on March 31 in Washington, D.C., during its annual rail passengers advocacy day on Capitol Hill.