NOTE: Both the House and Senate bills include another priority for Wicker — the establishment of a Gulf Coast working group dedicated to studying restoration of the rail line deemed inoperable between New Orleans and Orlando after Hurricane Katrina hit a decade ago. The measures wouldn’t compel any action, but they would require an analysis of benefits and tradeoffs of restarting that service and, if the project has merit, allow the route to compete against other rail projects for a shot at resuming.

https://www.politicopro.com/go/?id=48932
Senators drop retooled rail bill following Amtrak crash
Politico
By Jennifer Scholtes and Heather Caygle
June 18, 2015

After retooling a passenger rail bill following last month’s fatal Amtrak derailment, Senate Commerce Committee lawmakers plan to send the bill to the full Senate next week.

Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) had been set to introduce their bill just before the derailment, but the duo decided instead to take an extra five weeks to think through more safety mandates in light of the crash, including expanding a mandate the Federal Railroad Administration handed to Amtrak after the crash.

“The tragic accident in Pennsylvania last month was a heartbreaking reminder that the system is far from perfect,” Wicker said in a written statement. “This bipartisan measure would make robust improvements to safety programs, improve existing infrastructure, and empower state and local officials.”

Following on the FRA’s requirement that Amtrak must come up with a plan for reducing over-speed derailments, the bill would mandate those plans for the entire passenger rail industry while operators work to implement positive train control.

In their safety plans, rail operators would have to survey curves, bridges and areas susceptible to over-speed derailments and take steps to reduce those risks. And operators would have to post more signage in high-risk areas.

The measure would also free up more grant money and loan options for PTC implementation and other safety improvements. Through a consolidated grant program, rail operators large and small would be eligible for money to help with PTC compliance, grade crossing improvements, congestion mitigation and relocation of rail lines.

The bill would prioritize funding for PTC compliance within the FRA’s existing Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing loan program and would revamp the program with the aim of encouraging more private sector investment.

While the Amtrak reauthorization the House swiftly passed in March authorizes $300 million annually in grants, rail operators would not be eligible for money to implement PTC.

In many ways, the Senate bill is similar to the House’s Amtrak reauthorization. But it also has key differences when it comes to dedicated federal resources for the Northeast Corridor and service in rural areas — a top priority for Wicker.

Funding is still as much of a fight as ever, as evidenced by cuts included in the fiscal 2016 transportation spending bill the House passed earlier this month.
And it’s clear that the two chambers’ bills could diverge sharply along one of Amtrak’s typical dividing lines — maintaining long-distance service, which has long enjoyed Republican support in the Senate, versus shifting focus instead to the popular Northeast Corridor, which seems to be the preference of many House Republicans.

At first glance, the Senate bill seems akin to the House rail reauthorization in many ways — both bills take aim at Amtrak’s money-losing food and beverage program, would restructure the rail company’s accounts and reduce the authorized level for federal dollars that flow into Amtrak’s coffers.

But the Wicker-Booker bill differs when it comes to the Northeast Corridor. For example, while both the House and Senate bills would overhaul the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing program, the Senate’s version doesn’t include the House’s significant funding set-aside for the Northeast Corridor.

The Senate overhaul creates the more-inclusive grant program with broader freight eligibility than the House’s plan and would authorize an annual average of $570 million for that assistance. In the Senate bill, Amtrak would get an annual average of $1.65 billion for grants, while the House’s plan would provide about $1.5 billion.

In crafting the Senate measure, the authors checked in with the NTSB on staffing needs for investigating rail accidents, ultimately deciding to authorize $6.4 million for the safety agency to hire more employees.

Wicker and Booker may seem like a political mismatch, but they’ve teamed up on transportation legislation before, and both lawmakers have a lot to gain from seeing their bill enacted.

Booker is carrying the mantle of a fellow Garden Stater — and Amtrak’s loudest supporter — the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg. And for Wicker, the bill contains many of his priorities, including a focus on service in rural states and maintaining a national passenger network, compared to the Northeast-focused House bill.

Both the House and Senate bills include another priority for Wicker — the establishment of a Gulf Coast working group dedicated to studying restoration of the rail line deemed inoperable between New Orleans and Orlando after Hurricane Katrina hit a decade ago. The measures wouldn’t compel any action, but they would require an analysis of benefits and tradeoffs of restarting that service and, if the project has merit, allow the route to compete against other rail projects for a shot at resuming.

“Highways, bridges, and airports across the Gulf Coast have been rebuilt,” Wicker said in a statement to POLITICO. “However, our passenger rail lines have not returned.”