89–008 

111TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 111–472 

SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL 

TRAIN DAY 

MAY 4, 2010.—Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed 

Mr. OBERSTAR, from the Committee on Transportation and 

Infrastructure, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H. Res. 1301] 

The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom 

was referred the resolution (H. Res. 1301) supporting the goals and 

ideals of National Train Day, having considered the same, report 

favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the 

resolution be agreed to. 

PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION

H. Res. 1301 supports the goals and ideals of National Train Day 

as designated by Amtrak; recognizes the important contribution 

that trains make to the national transportation system; and urges 

the people of the United States to recognize National Train Day 

(May 8) as an opportunity to learn more about trains. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

H. Res. 1301 supports the goals and ideals of National Train Day 

as designated by Amtrak. Amtrak will host the third annual National Train Day on May 8, 2010, with events across the country 

to celebrate America’s love for trains. In 2009, more than 140 

events celebrating National Train Day took place across the country; Amtrak expects even more in 2010. 

National Train Day recognizes 141 years of passenger rail service 

in the United States and commemorates the day that the first 

transcontinental railroad was created. On May 10, 1869, in Promontory Summit, Utah, the golden spike was driven into the final tie 

that joined 1,776 miles of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific 

railways, transforming America by creating the nation’s first transcontinental railroad. 


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Transcontinental railroad passenger train service began five days later from Omaha to Sacramento with the trip costing between $40 

and $111 (depending on the class of service) and scheduled to take 

4 days, 4 hours, and 40 minutes. Today, Amtrak provides service 

between Omaha and Sacramento on the California Zephyr, which 

takes 41 hours and 8 minutes. 

Amtrak, or the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, was 

created by Congress in 1970. It began operations on May 1, 1971. 

Prior to enactment, passenger rail service had declined in the 

United States, largely due to the rise of the automobile; the devastating economic impact of two World Wars; creation of the Interstate Highway System; the increasing availability, comfort, and 

convenience of air travel; increasing train fares and decreasing 

service; and a number of railroad bankruptcies, mergers, and acquisitions. By 1965, only 10,000 rail passenger cars were in operation, 85 percent fewer than in 1929, and passenger rail service 

was provided on only 75,000 miles of track. At its peak, railroads 

were operating on more than 240,000 miles of track. 

Today, Amtrak operates 21,000 route miles in 46 States, the District of Columbia, and three Canadian provinces. Amtrak operates 

more than 300 trains each day to more than 500 destinations. It 

is also the operator for State-supported corridor services in 15 

States and for four commuter rail agencies. 

On April 8, 2010, Amtrak announced that the railroad is on pace 

to break its annual ridership record carrying a best ever 13.6 million passengers during the first six months of Fiscal Year (FY) 

2010, representing a 4.3 percent increase over the same period the 

prior year. Amtrak has carried approximately 100,000 more riders 

than the 13.5 million passengers posted in FY 2008, which was 

Amtrak’s best ridership year in company history when Amtrak carried 28.7 million passengers. 

In 2008, Congress reauthorized Amtrak in the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA) (P.L. 110–432) and 

created two Federal-State matching grant programs to develop 

intercity passenger and high-speed rail across the country. In 2009, 

the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) (P.L. 

111–5), which built upon the success of PRIIA, provided $8 billion 

to States for development of intercity passenger and high-speed 

rail, and another $1.3 billion to Amtrak for capital, safety, and security improvements. Later that year, Congress provided an additional $2.5 billion for development of intercity passenger and highspeed rail in the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, 

and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 (Division A of P.L. 

111–117). 

On April 16, 2009, the President released a strategic plan for the 

development of high-speed intercity passenger rail in the United 

States, which proposes to help address the nation’s transportation 

challenges by investing in an efficient, high-speed passenger rail 

network of 100–600 mile intercity corridors that connect communities across America. 

In the near term, the plan proposes to lay the foundation for that 

network by investing in intercity rail infrastructure, equipment, 

and intermodal connections, beginning with the $8 billion ‘‘down 

payment’’ provided under the Recovery Act, and continuing with a 

longer-term high-speed rail grant program. The near-term investVerDate Mar 15 2010 01:31 May 05, 2010 Jkt 089006 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR472.XXX HR472

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ment strategy seeks to: (1) advance new express high-speed corridor services (operating speeds above 150 miles per hour (mph) on 

primarily dedicated track) in select corridors of 200–600 miles; (2) 

develop emerging and regional high-speed corridor services (operating speeds up to 90–110 mph and 110–150 mph respectively, on 

shared and dedicated track) in corridors of 100–500 miles; and (3) 

upgrade reliability and service on conventional intercity rail services (operating speeds up to 79–90 mph). 

On January 28, 2010, President Obama announced the first recipients selected to receive part of the $8 billion in grant funding 

provided under the Recovery Act. A total of 31 States received 

awards. In the West, 23 projects received a total of $2.95 billion. 

In the Midwest, 24 projects received a total of $2.62 billion. In the 

Northeast, 23 projects received a total of $490 million. And in the 

Southeast, 12 projects received a total of $1.88 billion. 

The program generated enormous interest and excitement across 

the country. The Federal Railroad Administration received 259 

grant applications from 37 States requesting nearly $57 billion in 

funding far exceeding the $8 billion available under the Recovery 

Act. According to the Obama administration, the first round of selections represents a down payment on the President’s vision of a 

passenger rail network that will help address the nation’s 21st 

Century transportation challenges. 

SUMMARY OF THE LEGISLATION

H. Res. 1301 supports the goals and ideals of National Train Day 

as designated by Amtrak. National Train Day will be held on Saturday, May 8, 2010. Further, the resolution recognizes the important contribution that trains make to the national transportation 

system, and urges the people of the United States to recognize that 

day as an opportunity to learn more about trains. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

On April 27, 2009, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and 

Hazardous Materials Chairwoman Corrine Brown introduced H. 

Res. 367. On May 5, 2009, the Committee on Transportation and 

Infrastructure discharged the resolution. On May 6, 2009, the 

House agreed to H. Res. 367 by a vote of 426–0. 

On April 27, 2010, Subcommittee Chairwoman Brown introduced 

H. Res. 1301. On April 29, 2010, the Committee on Transportation 

and Infrastructure met in open session to consider H. Res. 1301. 

The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure ordered H. 

Res. 1301 reported favorably to the House by a voice vote with a 

quorum present. 

RECORD VOTES

Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives requires each committee report to include the total number of 

votes cast for and against on each record vote on a motion to report 

and on any amendment offered to the measure or matter, and the 

names of those members voting for and against. There were no recorded votes taken in connection with consideration of H. Res. 1301 

or ordering the resolution, reported. A motion to order H. Res. 1301 


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reported favorably to the House was agreed to by voice vote with 

a quorum present. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of 

the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee’s oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in this report. 

COST OF LEGISLATION

With respect to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, H. Res. 1301 is a resolution of the House 

of Representatives, and therefore does not have the force of law. As 

such, there is no cost associated with this resolution for fiscal year 

2010, or any fiscal year thereafter. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

1. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, and section 308(a) of 

the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee advises that 

the resolution contains no measure that authorizes funding, so no 

comparison of the total estimated funding level for the relevant 

programs to the appropriate level under current law is required. 

2. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee advises that the resolution contains no measure that authorizes funding, so no statement of general performance and objectives for any 

measure that authorizes funding is required. 

3. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 402 of the 

Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee advises that the 

resolution contains no measure that authorizes funding, so no cost 

estimate nor comparison for any measure that authorizes funding 

is required. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XXI

Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of 

Representatives, the Committee is required to include a list of congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits, 

as defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of 

the House of Representatives. H. Res. 1301 does not contain any 

earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits under 

clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of rule XXI. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, H. Res. 1301 is a resolution of the House of 

Representatives, and therefore does not have the force of law. As 

such, clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII does not apply. 

FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT

H. Res. 1301 contains no Federal mandates. 


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PREEMPTION CLARIFICATION

Section 423 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 requires the 

report of any Committee on a bill or joint resolution to include a 

statement on the extent to which the bill or joint resolution is intended to preempt state, local, or tribal law. The Committee states 

that H. Res. 1301 does not preempt any state, local, or tribal law. 

ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act are created by this legislation. 

APPLICABILITY TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

The Committee finds that the resolution does not relate to the 

terms and conditions of employment or access to public services or 

accommodations within the meaning of section 102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act (P.L. 104–1). 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

H. Res. 1301 makes no changes in existing law. 

Æ 


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