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High Speed Rail Projects to Move Forward in NY


WASHINGTON—CSX, Amtrak, the New York State Department of Transportation and the Federal Railway Administration have reached the necessary agreements to move forward with rail projects across the state announced U.S. Senator Charles Schumer on Sept. 23.

From Fiscal Year 2009 and 2010 and the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), Senator Schumer has helped New York secure $250 million in rail funding, but only a small amount had thus far been obligated for specific projects. The delay had occurred because CSX, Amtrak, NYSDOT, and the FRA had yet to complete the necessary agreements on land and track leasing, operating and management, dispatching and right-of-way maintenance, implementing, and service outcomes. Sen. Schumer stated that a deal was reached between the four parties that will now allow nearly $150 million to be obligated to high-speed rail projects.

“High speed rail is a key to upstate New York’s economic future, and that future starts today,” said Sen. Schumer. “I pushed the parties to reach an agreement so that we could put hammer to nail and get these projects rolling down the tracks. I’m thrilled that everyone has signed off on this deal, and can’t wait to see the construction begin. We’re going to create jobs and modernize our rail infrastructure. That is going to be key to bringing even more jobs and economic opportunity to the Empire State.”

The projects receiving funding are:

Albany - Schenectady Second Main Track -- $91.2 million

Along the 17-mile rail corridor between the cities of Albany and Schenectady, there is only one main track to accommodate all train traffic. The existing single track requires trains to wait at either the Schenectady Station or the Albany-Rensselaer Station for approximately 26 minutes for the rail line to clear when another train is traveling in the opposing direction, resulting in train delays. The existing single track also does not allow for redundancy should this track require maintenance work, resulting in time delays during maintenance, which also causes impacts on train delays and further reduces reliability.

The New York State Department of Transportation will administer the final design and construction of the Albany–Schenectady second main track and upgrade and existing controlled siding on the Empire Corridor in the City of Albany, Town of Colonie and Village of Colonie within Albany County and the City of Schenectady and Town of Rotterdam. Completion of this project will provide double track operation between the Albany-Rensselaer Station and the Schenectady Station, which will reduce delays and improve reliability for this section of the Empire Corridor.

The project includes the reconstruction of four interlockings and installation of two new interlockings, and relocation of switches. The project will also include signal system improvements, installation of signals for the second track, trenching/burying signal and power wires, and correction of identified track deficiencies necessary to restore the existing track to a state of good repair. Other work will include the repair/ rehabilitation of 16 bridges, the potential replacement of one bridge and possible culvert repair/rehabilitation.

The three grade crossings located within the project limits will also be improved by upgrading the existing grade crossing surfaces to accommodate the second track and the installation of four quadrant crossing gate warning devices at each crossing. The existing signal cables on poles will be removed during construction and will be replaced with new underground signal cables.

Albany-Rensselaer and Schenectady Fourth Track/Station Improvements - $58.1 million

Overall benefits for this project include increased schedule reliability, reduced congestion and interference between freight and passenger trains, and increased capacity and efficiency, resulting in less delay and improved intercity passenger rail operations in this segment of the Empire Corridor. The project benefits also include increased ridership as well as increased frequency of Amtrak service to the Schenectady Station, improved timeliness of rail service, and improved overall quality of passenger experience, all of which provide an outlet for increased modal transit choice. There are three elements to the project:

Section 1 – Albany-Rensselaer Fourth Station Track – Section 1 of this project is currently being progressed with an existing FRA grant for final design. The Conceptual Operating Plan and the preliminary track layout have been approved by the FRA, and a conceptual construction staging plan has been submitted to stakeholders and the FRA for review and approval. The major components of this project are track and platform improvements and signal work. The project is located at the Albany-Rensselaer Station in the City of Rensselaer, NY. The project will benefit Empire corridor service, with end points of New York City and Niagara Falls, NY, which serves major locations including upstate cities such as Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse. Work also includes improved service for the Lake Shore Limited (New York City/Boston to Chicago), Maple Leaf (NYC to Toronto), Adirondack (New York City to Montreal), and Ethan Allen (New York City to Rutland, VT) trains. There are currently 13 passenger roundtrips between New York and Albany, four of which extend west of Albany to Buffalo and points west, one of which that extends north to Montreal, and one of which that extends north to Rutland, VT. In addition, there is one daily roundtrip between Albany and Boston.

Section 2—This project relocates the signal wires underground and connects with Phase 1 of the signal wire relocation (which was selected for funding under the FY2010 HSIPR program) to the southern terminus of the Albany-Rensselaer Fourth Station Track project. Signal outages from the existing above ground signal wires lead to train delay, a reduction in average operating speed over the line, degradation in Amtrak ontime performance and a reduction in the train capacity of the line.

With the signal improvements associated with this project in place, signal work for the Albany-Rensselaer Fourth Station Track can be effectively tied into the new signal system being constructed as a part of the FRA FY2010 funded signal relocation on the Hudson Line (Phase 1), without the need for either project to tie into the antiquated existing signal system. This section may also be mobilized at the same time as Phase 1, to be implemented under a separate FRA cooperative agreement.

Section 3—Schenectady Station Platform and Track Improvements – This project provides a new platform and new track layout at Schenectady Station, located at 332 Erie Boulevard, Schenectady NY. The construction includes: track and platform replacement, waterproofing track deck and platform under track, construction of the northern stairwell, and the infrastructure for the south stairwell and elevator associated with the platform.

I’m thrilled that everyone has signed off on this deal, and can’t wait to see the construction begin. We’re going to create jobs and modernize our rail infrastructure. That is going to be key to bringing even more jobs and economic opportunity to the Empire State.”

—Sen. Charles Schumer

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Slaughter Announces, At Long Last, A Solution to the Albany Bottleneck, Construction of Rail Second Track to Begin in 2012               
Second Track Will Reduce Travel Time Across All of New York; Progress Also Announced for Projects in the Capital Region

WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (NY-2, Founder and Co-Chair of the Bicameral High-Speed & Intercity Passenger Rail Caucus, today announced that the long-awaited double track project in between Albany and Schenectady will begin construction in the spring finally relieving congestion and reducing travel time for rail passengers across the Empire Corridor. Also announced today is funding for the construction of a fourth track at Rensselaer, track improvements between Albany and Poughkeepsie and improvements at the Schenectady rail station.

Today Slaughter announced that $149.3 million awarded to New York State as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has been obligated and is on its way to the state Department of Transportation allowing construction to move forward.

"We've been talking about the congestion in Albany for the better part of 20 years and today, finally, thanks to federal funding and the work my office has done with the New York Department of Transportation, Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration, we can announce that construction will begin next season. I also want to acknowledge CSX's efforts and look forward to a new era of cooperation," said Slaughter.

"This is monumental progress for rail in New York and won't just benefit those residents in Albany. For years trains traveling across the state have been delayed because of the congestion caused in these 20 miles. Passenger rail service will be more reliable everywhere along the Empire Corridor and that's good news for everyone from Buffalo to Boston. Now the only thing standing in our way from construction is some snow and we Upstaters can handle that."

In January 2010, Slaughter announced $151 million was awarded to New York State as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Today's announcement of $149.3 million being obligated protects the funding from House Republican-lead attacks to repeal any monies not yet transferred to state governments.

$91.2 million will go towards the second track construction and an additional $58.1 million will help the following projects move forward: construction of a fourth track at Rensselaer, track improvements between Albany and Poughkeepsie and improvements at the Schenectady rail station.

More details on each project are included below.

Slaughter is New York's leading advocate fighting to bring high-speed rail to Upstate New York. In total, New York has received $456.4 million for improved rail and high-speed rail projects thanks to her advocacy.

In 2009, she founded the Upstate Congressional Caucus and last March founded the Bicameral High-Speed & Intercity Passenger Rail Caucus, a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers that serves as the leading voice for high-speed and passenger rail program funding. For more Slaughter's work to bring high-speed rail to Upstate New York, click here.

More on the Projects Moving Forward With Today's Announcement

Albany - Schenectady Second Main Track -- $91.2 million

New York was awarded $91.2 million to reduce approximately 18 minutes of delay at the existing bottleneck located between the Schenectady and Albany-Rensselaer stations between MP QC 143.3 and MP QC 160.3 in Albany and Schenectady Counties.

The project includes improving grade crossings within the project area by upgrading existing warning device systems to include warning signs, automatic flashers, gates and predictors at Lincoln Avenue, Morris Road, and Cordell Rd crossings in Colonie.

Since there were multiple tracks in this section of the corridor previously, the proposed work is entirely within the railroad Right of Way, and no use of public lands is needed. Freight traffic on this section of the corridor is minimal, CSX Transportation runs one round trip train a day and Canadian Pacific runs 1 one-way train trip per day.

Albany-Rensselaer and Schenectady Fourth Track/Station Improvements - $58.1 million

Overall benefits for this project include increased schedule reliability, reduced congestion and interference between freight and passenger trains, and increased capacity and efficiency, resulting in less delay and improved intercity passenger rail operations in this segment of the Empire Corridor. The project benefits also include increased ridership as well as increased frequency of Amtrak service to the Schenectady Station, improved timeliness of rail service, and improved overall quality of passenger experience, all of which provide an outlet for increased modal transit choice. There are three elements to the project:

Section 1 – Albany-Rensselaer Fourth Station Track – Section 1 of this project is currently being progressed with an existing FRA grant for final design. The Conceptual Operating Plan and the preliminary track layout have been approved by the FRA, and a conceptual construction staging plan has been submitted to stakeholders and the FRA for review and approval. The major components of this project are track and platform improvements and signal work. The project is located at the Albany-Rensselaer Station in the City of Rensselaer, NY. The project will benefit Empire corridor Service, with end points of New York City and Niagara Falls, NY, which serves major locations including upstate cities such as Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse. This project also includes improved service for the Lake Shore Limited (NYC/Boston to Chicago), Maple Leaf (NYC to Toronto), Adirondack (NYC to Montreal), and Ethan Allen (NYC to Rutland, VT) trains. There are currently thirteen passenger roundtrips between New York and Albany, four of which extend west of Albany to Buffalo and points west, one of which that extends north to Montreal, and one of which that extends north to Rutland, VT. In addition, there is one daily roundtrip between Albany and Boston.

Section 2 – Hudson Line Signal Wire Relocation (Phase 2) – Section 2 of this project relocates the signal wires underground and connects with Phase 1 of the signal wire relocation (which was selected for funding under the FY2010 HSIPR program) to the southern terminus of the Albany-Rensselaer Fourth Station Track project. Signal outages from the existing above ground signal wires lead to train delay, a reduction in average operating speed over the line, degradation in Amtrak on-time performance and a reduction in the train capacity of the line. Twenty-four percent of delays on this segment of the Hudson Line are due to outages associated with the above ground signals. Operating safety is reduced by the occurrences of signal outages. In addition, signal system maintenance and repair costs are increased and schedule reliability and locomotive fuel efficiency are reduced due to signal outages.

With the signal improvements associated with this project in place, signal work for the Albany-Rensselaer Fourth Station Track can be effectively tied into the new signal system being constructed as a part of the FRA FY2010 funded signal relocation on the Hudson Line (Phase 1), without the need for either project to tie into the antiquated existing signal system. This Section may also be mobilized at the same time as Phase 1, to be implemented under a separate FRA cooperative agreement.

Section 3 - Schenectady Station Platform and Track Improvements – Section 3 of this project provides a new platform and new track layout at Schenectady Station, located at 332 Erie Boulevard, Schenectady NY. The construction includes: track and platform replacement, waterproofing track deck and platform under track, construction of the northern stairwell, and the infrastructure for the south stairwell and elevator associated with the platform. This Project element will improve structural integrity of the track platforms over the viaduct.

This Project element will play into a larger scope of the revitalization of Schenectady Station and downtown Schenectady, while promoting ridership for Amtrak's intercity passenger rail service, and providing key linkages to other cities within the Empire Corridor and beyond. The revitalized station will support high speed rail service within the Empire Corridor, improve Amtrak on-time performance, increase ridership, and allow for future frequency increases of Amtrak service.

PUBLISHED FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

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High-Speed Rail
Bringing high-speed rail to Western New York is one of Rep. Slaughter's highest priorities. The improvement of existing tracks and the creation of a third track dedicated to passenger rail will allow people to move efficiently back and forth across the Upstate region, improve commerce, generate new tourism opportunities and spark revitalization of Western New York for a generation to come.

Rep. Slaughter is founder and co-chair of the Bicameral Bipartisan Congressional High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Caucus. This caucus of Senators and Representatives advocates for an improved high-speed and intercity passenger rail network that will reduce greenhouse emissions, clear clogged highways, and improve the flow of commerce and citizens across the United States.

Rep. Slaughter has repeatedly led meetings with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Congressional leaders, representatives from the New York Governor's office, the N.Y. Department of Transportation, the Federal Railroad Administration, Amtrak, and CSX to bring high-speed rail to Western New York.

Over the years, Slaughter has secured millions of dollars to build a high-speed rail network in Western New York. In part, she has secured:

$58.1 million for the final design and construction of an initial section of a dedicated third passenger track on the Empire Corridor in the Rochester area;
$48.6 million for the design and construction of high-level platforms and track realignment at the Rochester passenger rail station to accommodate high-speed rail;
$32.1 million for signal improvements along Niagara branch tracks, which run from Buffalo to Niagara Falls, Erie County;
$22.4 million for rail infrastructure improvements required to relocate Amtrak’s Niagara Falls passenger station on Lockport Road to the renovated 1863 Customs House, located near the Whirlpool Bridge on Whirlpool Street in Niagara Falls;
$6.1 million for improving safety of highway/railroad grade crossings at 22 locations on the Empire Corridor from Erie County east to Schenectady County; and
$1.6 million for preliminary engineering of another section of a dedicated, third passenger track in Rochester.

View High Speed Rail in a larger map

Rochester Intermodal Station Background
Rochester’s current Amtrak station, built on Central Avenue in 1978, was intended to be a temporary facility.  It lacks adequate ADA accessibility and is not constructed to support high-speed rail.  Congresswoman Slaughter is working closely with the FRA, City of Rochester, NY Governor’s office, NYSDOT, and Amtrak to build a new intermodal station that will house Amtrak, Greyhound and Trailways buses, and provide connectivity to RTS city buses, taxi and other modes of transportation.

Rochester Intermodal Station Funding

Congresswoman Slaughter is working to secure funding for the planning and design of the station, and its eventual construction.  Through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, and the FY 11 THUD apropriations bills, the Congresswoman secured $4,040,555.

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Committee Assignments               
Rules Committee
Ranking Member

The Rules Committee, known as the "Speaker's Committee," is an arm of the House Leadership. Members are appointed by the Speaker and the Minority Leader. The Rules Committee is known as the traffic cop of the House of Representatives because virtually every major piece of legislation must come to the Committee before it is considered on the House Floor. The Rules Committee has the power to decide if, when, and how a bill will be debated and amended on the House Floor. It has authority to grant waivers to legislation and amendments that otherwise might not be allowed to come to the Floor for consideration by the full House.

Congressional Bipartisan Upstate New York Caucus
Chair

The Congressional Bipartisan Upstate New York Caucus was created by Congresswoman Slaughter in January 2009 and has been joined by all Members representing Upstate New York districts in the House of Representatives. The purpose of the Caucus is to collectively address the unique issues facing Upstate New York, namely economic issues.

Congressional Arts Caucus
Co-chair

The Congressional Arts Caucus is a bipartisan organization for Members of Congress who support the arts through federal initiatives. Members participate in press conferences in support of the arts, testify before key committees in support of these cultural agencies, speak on the House floor about the positive educational and economic impact of the arts, and participate in the events of Arts Advocacy Day, an annual March event. Most important, the Arts Caucus also wages an annual fight to preserve funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.

Congressional Bipartisan Pro-Choice Caucus
Co-chair

The Congressional Bipartisan Pro-Choice Caucus works to promote reproductive health and protect a woman's right to choose. The Caucus arranges briefings, supports and coordinates events, educates Members of Congress about reproductive health rights, and advocates for legislative initiatives that support a women's right to choose. The group also focuses on other areas of woman's health and is actively working to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions through the Prevention First Act (H.R. 463).

Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues
Member

Also known as the Women's Caucus, this bipartisan Congressional Member Organization promotes and raises awareness of legislation and public policy issues of particular concern to women.

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Additional Member Organizations               
Afterschool Caucus
This caucus can help educate the public on the critical role after-school programs play in the lives of countless families, and promote the expansion of federal, state, and local support that is so critical to making access to these programs a reality for all interested children and families.

Air Force Caucus
This caucus sponsors briefings, base visits, and meetings with the Chief of Staff of the Air Force and other personnel throughout the year.  This organization not only educates the Members about the importance of Air Force and general military issues, but also focuses its energies and educational tools on the Members' staff through briefings and on-site Air Force base visits.

At-Large Whip
The At-Large Whip is responsible for serving as a liaison between rank-and-file Members and senior leadership, for counting votes on selected issues, and for helping to impress on colleagues in the House the merits of Democratic legislation.

Congressional Ad Hoc Steering Committee on Telehealth
The Steering Committee on Telehealth focuses on working with a wide variety of groups (academia, government, and the private sector) to help develop legislative priorities related to Telehealth, eHealth and health care informatics.

Congressional Advisory Committee on Lyme Disease
The Committee educates both Members of Congress and the public about Lyme disease.  It seeks to provide information about how the disease is contracted and what medical options are available to treat it.  

Congressional Automotive Caucus
The Congressional Automotive Caucus works to promote the American Automobile industry and American Auto workers.  Most notably, the CAC has worked to ensure that foreign manufacturers must comply with the same regulations that American manufacturers adhere to.

Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus
The Biomedical Research Caucus invites biomedical professionals to the Hill in an effort to be educate Members of Congress about the future and possibilities of biomedicines.

Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Issues
This Caucus focuses on American-Indian relations and how to better foster relations between our two nations.  It also works to help Indian Americans and educate Members of Congress about issues important to the Indian American community.

Congressional Economic Competitiveness Caucus
This caucus looks to strengthen America's job training system and help job seekers access the resources and training they need to find good jobs.

Congressional Fire Services Caucus
The Fire Services Caucus work for the Fire Services and other first responders.  The Caucus seeks to educate Members of Congress about what first responders need in order to successfully do their jobs.

Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition
The Coalition, which is made up of more than 200 members of Congress, works to raise awareness of the seriousness of cardiovascular diseases and acts as a resource center on heart and stroke issues, including biomedical research, quality and availability of care and health promotion/disease prevention. The Coalition also works to advance public policy aimed at fighting cardiovascular diseases.

Congressional Human Rights Caucus
The Human Rights Caucus focuses on publicizing human rights abuses in the world today.  It holds briefings to educate Members about current human rights concerns.  The Human Rights Caucus also organizes events to commemorate those who have fought for human rights in the past.

Congressional Labor and Working Families Caucus
The purpose of the Congressional Labor and Working Families Caucus is to protect workers rights and American families by developing and implementing a pro-labor agenda in the United States Congress. The Caucus will also provide information and educate Members of Congress on issues that impact labor and working families.

Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus
This bipartisan coalition is made up of over 100 members of Congress devoted to helping find missing children and raising public awareness about child abduction.  The Caucus has also played a major role in helping protect children from sexual predators on the Internet.

Congressional Prevention Coalition
The Congressional Prevention Coalition is working to make disease prevention a priority in health care policy.  It focuses on pre-screening and immunization in an effort to stop a disease before it develops.

Congressional Task Force on International HIV/AIDS
The Congressional Task Force on International HIV/AIDS is committed to helping alleviate the suffering of millions who have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.  The task force is working to ensure that medicines are provided to those who have contracted the disease and programs are enacted to better educated people about the how the disease spreads and its risks.

Congressional Task Force on Organ and Tissue Donation
The Congressional Task Force on Organ and Tissue Donation was established in 1995 by several members of Congress who had personal or professional experience with organ and tissue donation and transplantation.  While a number of the task force members also serve on committees that deal with health care issues, the committee's purpose goes beyond legislation. The members are committed to raising awareness of this issue in Congress, with health care professionals, and among the general public. Most important, the task force aims to focus on successful solutions to the shortage of organs and tissues for transplantation, so that activities in the public and private sectors, as well as by the public at large, can make use of successful approaches. The goal is to ensure that transplants are available to all who need them.

Congressional Task Force on Tobacco and Health
The Task Force on Tobacco and Health is working to educate the public about the dangers on tobacco.  In the past it has introduced legislations to make warning labels on cigarette packages more clear and to block tobacco advertisements directed towards children.

Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus
The CTTC works to educate Members of Congress about the important role the tourism industry plays in the American economy.  It is a bi-partisan group that has a footprint in all 435 House of Representatives' offices.

Congressional Ukrainian Caucus
The Congressional Ukrainian Caucus was created to foster and build relations between the United States and Ukraine.  The Caucus has been active in promoting the non-violent transition in Ukraine from Communism to Democracy and a market economy.  

House Cancer Awareness Working Group
The House Cancer Awareness Working Group was created to educate Congress and the public about the dangers of cancer.  It has been working to get funding to help find a cure for the disease, while at the same time promoting early detection methods to improve the rate of survival of cancer patients.

Law Enforcement Caucus
The Law Enforcement Caucus is a bi-partisan working group of Members of Congress who seek an open forum to address issues affecting the law enforcement community. The 74-member organization was created in 1994 to serve as a clearinghouse for information and grants and a sounding board for ideas brought forth by the law enforcement community.

Medical Technology Caucus
The House Medical Technology Caucus was formed to increase awareness among members and staff of the issues facing the medical technology sector. The Caucus is informal and typically does not endorse legislation or take positions on policy matters. Rather, the organization exists to provide a forum for the discussion of critical issues facing medical technology.

Minor League Baseball Caucus
The Minor League Baseball Caucus works to promote various Minor League baseball leagues and teams across America.

Northeast Agricultural Caucus
The Northeast Agricultural Caucus workers to help farmers and food growers in the Northeast.

Older Americans Caucus
The Older Americans Caucus keeps the House focused on the challenges facing our aging population, like retirement expenses, pensions, Social Security and medical costs.

Research and Development Caucus
The Research & Development Caucus was established to highlight the national importance of research and the interdependency of research efforts across disciplines and to increase the awareness of Members of Congress and their staff on issues related to research.

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Where did the money go??

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Fiat money is money that derives its value from government regulation or law. The term fiat currency is also used when the fiat money is used as the main currency of the country. The term derives from the Latin fiat ("let it be done", "it shall be").[1]
Fiat money originated in 11th century China,[2] and its use became widespread during the Yuan and Ming dynasties.[3] During the 13th century, Marco Polo described the fiat money of the Yuan Dynasty in his book The Travels of Marco Polo.[4][5] The Nixon Shock of 1971 ended the direct convertibility of the United States dollar to gold. Since then all reserve currencies have been fiat currencies, including the U.S. dollar and the Euro.[6]