John Robert Smith, T4America chair and a former chair of the Amtrak board, recently made a statement responding to the Railroad Reform, Enhancement and Efficiency Act.
Sens. Roger Wicker (R- MS) as well as Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the bill that could authorize funds to support Amtrak and passenger rail. This new bill could succeed the current rail authorization known as the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act.
The bill could benefit many areas of passenger transportation, including sustainable growth for funding authorization levels to Amtrak, which could allow the country’s passenger rail corporation to solve the ongoing lack of investments in U.S. passenger rail systems and related infrastructure.
“Sens. Wicker and Booker are doing the nation a great service in crafting a bill that ensures Americans will see continued and improving passenger rail service in the years to come,” Smith said. “Passenger rail service is vital and growing in popularity, and keeping the system working and safe requires investment. The Wicker-Booker bill embraces both those ideas. It authorizes necessary funding to start to return the system to a state of good repair and make targeted investments to improve service.”
Booker and Wicker have received strong support from Transportation for America, and the organization anticipates the bill proceeding to the Senate Commerce Committee.
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