SEC. 224. AMTRAK SERVICE PREFERENCE STUDY. 
Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Surface Transportation Board shall trans-
mit to the Congress a report containing— 
(1) the findings of a study of the effectiveness 
of the implementation of section 24308(c) of title 
49, United States Code, in ensuring the preference 
of Amtrak service over freight transportation service; 
and 
(2) recommendations with respect to any regu-
latory or legislative actions that would improve such 
effectiveness. 
SEC. 225. HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND RAILROAD SAFE-
TY. 
(a) STUDY; OTHER ACTIONS.—The Secretary of 
Transportation shall— 
(1) conduct a study, in consultation with the 
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the Na-
tional Conference of State Historic Preservation Of-
ficers, the Department of the Interior, appropriate 
representatives of the railroad industry, and rep-
resentative stakeholders, on ways to streamline com-
pliance with the requirements of section 303 of title 
49, United States Code, and section 106 of the Na-
tional Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f)
for federally funded railroad infrastructure repair 
and improvement projects; 
(2) take immediate action to cooperate with the 
Alaska Railroad, the Alaska State Historic Preserva-
tion Office, the Advisory Council on Historic Preser-
vation, and the Department of the Interior, in expe-
diting the decisionmaking process for safety-related 
projects of the railroad involving property and facili-
ties that have disputed historic significance; and 
(3) take immediate action to cooperate with the 
North Carolina Department of Transportation, the 
North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, 
the Virginia State Historic Preservation Office, the 
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the 
Department of the Interior, in expediting the deci-
sionmaking process for safety-related projects of the 
railroad and the Southeast High Speed Rail Cor-
ridor involving property and facilities that have dis-
puted historic significance. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit, to 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, a report 
on the results of the study conducted under subsection
(a)(1) and the actions directed under subsection (a)(2) 
and (3). The report shall include recommendations for any 
regulatory or legislative amendments that may streamline 
compliance with the requirements described in subsection 
(a)(1) in a manner consistent with railroad safety and the 
policies and purposes of section 106 of the National His-
toric Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f), section 303 of 
title 49, United States Code, and section 8(d) of Public 
Law 90–543 (16 U.S.C. 1247(d)). 
SEC. 226. COMMUTER RAIL EXPANSION. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress find the following: 
(1) In 2006, Americans took 10,100,000,000 
trips on public transportation for the first time since 
1949. 
(2) The Northeast region is one of the Nation’s 
largest 
emerging 
transportation 
‘‘megaregions’’ 
where infrastructure expansion and improvements 
are most needed. 
(3) New England’s road traffic has increased 
two to three times faster than its population since 
1990. 
(4) Connecticut has one of the Nation’s longest 
average commute times according to the United 
States Census Bureau, and 80 percent of Con-
necticut commuters drive by themselves to work,
demonstrating the need for expanded commuter rail 
access. 
(5) The Connecticut Department of Transpor-
tation has pledged to modernize, repair, and 
strengthen the rail line infrastructure to provide for 
increased safety and security along a crucial trans-
portation corridor in the Northeast. 
(6) Expanded New Haven-Springfield rail serv-
ice would improve access to Bradley International 
Airport, one the region’s busiest airports, as well as 
to Hartford, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massa-
chusetts, two of the region’s commercial, residential, 
and industrial centers. 
(7) Expanded commuter rail service on the New 
Haven-Springfield line will result in an estimated 
630,000 additional trips per year and 2,215,384 
passenger miles per year, helping to curb pollution 
and greenhouse gas production that vehicle traffic 
would otherwise produce. 
(8) The MetroNorth New Haven Line and 
Shore Line East railways saw respective 3.43 per-
cent and 4.93 percent increases in ridership over the 
course of 2007, demonstrating the need for ex-
panded commuter rail service in Connecticut.
(9) Expanded New Haven-Springfield com-
muter rail service will provide transportation nearly 
17 times more efficient in terms of average mileage 
versus road vehicles, alleviating road congestion and 
providing a significant savings to consumers during 
a time of high gas prices. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the Sense of the 
Congress that expanded commuter rail service on the rail 
line between New Haven, Connecticut, and Springfield, 
Massachusetts, is an important transportation priority, 
and Amtrak should work cooperatively with the States of 
Connecticut and Massachusetts to enable expanded com-
muter rail service on such line. 
(c) INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE REPORT.—Am-
trak shall submit a report to Congress and the State De-
partments of Transportation of Connecticut and Massa-
chusetts on the total cost of uncompleted infrastructure 
maintenance on the rail line between New Haven, Con-
necticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts. 
SEC. 227. SERVICE EVALUATION. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, Amtrak shall transmit to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate a report containing the
results of an evaluation of passenger rail service between 
Cornwells Heights, PA, and New York City, NY, and be-
tween Princeton Junction, NJ, and New York City, NY, 
to determine whether to expand passenger rail service by 
increasing the frequency of stops or reducing commuter 
ticket prices for this route. 
TITLE III—INTERCITY 
PASSENGER RAIL POLICY 
SEC. 301. CAPITAL ASSISTANCE FOR INTERCITY PAS-
SENGER RAIL SERVICE; STATE RAIL PLANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Part C of subtitle V is amended 
by inserting the following after chapter 243: 
‘‘CHAPTER 
244—INTERCITY 
PASSENGER 
RAIL SERVICE CORRIDOR CAPITAL AS-
SISTANCE 
‘‘Sec. 
‘‘24401. Definitions. 
‘‘24402. Capital investment grants to support intercity passenger rail service. 
‘‘24403. Project management oversight. 
‘‘24404. Use of capital grants to finance first-dollar liability of grant project. 
‘‘24405. Grant conditions. 
‘‘§ 24401. Definitions 
‘‘In this chapter: 
‘‘(1) APPLICANT.—The term ‘applicant’ means 
a State (including the District of Columbia), a group 
of States, an Interstate Compact, or a public agency 
established by one or more States and having re-