Happening Now
Rail Passengers Statement on White House EO on Rail
July 9, 2021
For Immediate Release (21-12)
Contact: Sean Jeans-Gail (202) 320-2723; [email protected]
Washington, D.C. -- Rail Passengers Association President Jim Mathews issued the following statement on President Biden's Executive Order encouraging the Surface Transportation Board to "require railroad track owners to provide rights of way to passenger rail and to strengthen their obligations to treat other freight companies fairly":
"The Rail Passengers Association thinks President Biden’s executive order is, without a doubt, a necessary prerequisite to successfully expanding the U.S. passenger rail network. If states are forced to extract every new train slot through a campaign of attrition—as we’ve seen in the Gulf Coast with the effort to restore only two trains per day—then our country will not be able to build out a modern passenger rail network in any meaningful timeframe. If the U.S. wants to provide a low-emission, energy-efficient transportation alternative to overcrowded highways and airports, then we’ll need the Surface Transportation Board to play an active role in determining what constitutes fair access to host railroad infrastructure.
About Rail Passengers Association
The Rail Passengers Association is the oldest and largest national organization serving as a voice for the more than 40 million rail passengers in the U.S. Our mission is to improve and expand conventional intercity and regional passenger train services, support higher speed rail initiatives, increase connectivity among all forms of transportation and ensure safety for our country's trains and passengers. All of this makes communities safer, more accessible, and more productive, improving the lives of everyone who lives, works and plays in towns all across America.
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"On behalf of Amtrak’s onboard service staff, I want to thank the Rail Passengers Association for honoring their hard work with this award. The past couple years have indeed been difficult for Amtrak onboard service staff – coping with furloughs and job insecurity, adapting to changing protocols and services, not to mention the unfortunate events such as a tragic derailment and a fatal shooting. Nevertheless, our dedicated members at Amtrak have handled these hurdles with the care, attention and diligence for which they’re known. We thank Rail Passengers for their acknowledgement of our members’ hard work and, as always, look forward to seeing you on the rails."
Arthur Maratea, TCU/IAM National President
December 21, 2021, on the Association awarding its 2021 Golden Spike Award to the Frontline Amtrak Employees.
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