Davis / 1 Senator Mizutani

S.R._____

A BILL
To finance building and initial implementation of a national high speed rail system.
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE
This act may be cited as the Transforming Rail for America's Infrastructure Network (TRAIN) Act of 2016.
SECTION 2. FINDINGS
Congress hereby finds and declares that,
1) High-speed rail eliminates 141,000 to 330,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent in the first year of operation, the
equivalent of taking 31,000 passenger vehicles off the road.
2) The setting of high speed rail systems has considerably improved travel time between several major metropolitan
areas, on average a 50% reduction
3) Passenger railroads can efficiently move large numbers of people in comfort and safety and at higher speeds than
are possible with other ground transportation options
4) Rail freight will be moved more efficiently as it will inherit the almost exclusive use of the conventional rail
system because most passenger rail will no longer use the same track
5) Reduce national dependence on oil
6) Serve as a catalyst for growth in regional economic productivity and expansion by stimulating domestic
manufacturing, promoting local tourism, and driving commercial and residential development
7) High speed trains can compete effectively with air transport for trips shorter than 500 miles
8) Rail freight has priority use of tracks and delays passenger rail travel because passenger trains must wait on a
different track until the freight passes
9) Increase mobility by creating new choices for travelers in addition to flying or driving
10) The construction of a national high speed rail system will create hundreds of thousands of jobs
11) The operation of the railway will create tens of thousands of permanent positions
SECTION 3. STATUTORY LANGUAGE
A) Initial construction will focus on connecting areas of dense population on the east and west coasts (for example,
New York to Miami and Seattle to Los Angeles). Following the construction of the coastal railways, a
transcontinental route will be built with consideration of existing track systems to provide access to regional transfer
points.
B) The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) shall construct
and operate the national high speed rail system. DOT shall consult with the National Transportation Safety Board on
matters concerning passenger and railway safety. DOT shall consult with the Environmental Protection Agency on
route selection and environmental issues related to construction and operation. $600 billion for construction purposes
will be appropriated from but not limited to the following sources: a dedicated national fossil fuel tax, a new tariff on
imported oil, transportation bonds, Homeland Security Budget, and contributions from states where stations are
located.
C) The TRAIN Act of 2016 shall be enacted in June of 2017.