Murphy calls for new Northeast corridor safety fund
Murphy calls for new Northeast corridor safety fund
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee, called on Congress to boost rail safety and infrastructure funding for Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor.
In the wake of this week’s train derailment in Pennsylvania, Murphy stressed his determination to use his seat on the subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over rail funding, to push for additional federal resources to make trains safer throughout the region.
Murphy is proposing to dedicate a $550 million capital fund proposed for the Northeast Corridor in President Obama’s budget to rail safety improvements in the stretch of rail from Boston to Washington D.C.. The fund — which would be the first of its kind dedicated to the Northeast Corridor, the busiest rail route in the nation — would be used to address dangerous conditions along the tracks due to decades of deferred capital projects.
Murphy released the following statement announcing a new effort to fully fund Amtrak safety efforts through Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Improvements Grants:
“The Appropriations Committee, right now, can make a commitment to rail safety over the coming year to make sure that dangerously antiquated infrastructure along the Northeast Corridor are addressed now, before it’s too late. This fund, initially proposed by the president to address general capital projects along the line, should be fully funded and directed to be used on projects that address immediate safety issues.
“Most of these accidents can be prevented, whether it’s by the adoption of new technology or the repair of old and outdated rail lines, bridges, and tunnels. No matter the cause of this week’s derailment, Congress has known for too long that the oldest stretch of track in the nation needs repairs badly, and we shouldn’t wait any longer.
“It’s a national embarrassment that America has fallen so far behind when it comes to investing in our infrastructure and keeping families safe. Studies show it would take a staggering $21.1 billion investment to simply bring the Northeast Corridor’s infrastructure to a state-of-good-repair. $550 million is a meager down payment on this effort, and I hope my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee will agree to fund the President’s request and then dedicate it to pending safety-related projects.
In March, Murphy wrote a letter to U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, urging them to fully fund President Obama’s request for $555,800,000 for federal/state matching capital grants to upgrade the Northeast Corridor’s infrastructure and begin to address the backlog of state-of-good-repair projects.