Supporting the goals and ideals of National Train Day.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 367) supporting the goals and ideals of National Train Day.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 367.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

National Train Day celebrates the 140th anniversary of the golden spike, which was driven into the final tie in Utah, and marked the completion of our Nation's first transcontinental railroad in 1869.

Last year, I celebrated National Train Day by holding events throughout my district, including press conferences and events in Jacksonville, Winter Park, and the Sanford Auto Train station. We had a great turnout at all of the events, and I heard firsthand from people who use Amtrak every day to go to work and visit friends and families all over the country.

This year, I will be holding an event on Friday at my hometown station in Jacksonville, and I am planning a trip to New York in the very near future and hope other Members will join me. But we should celebrate Train Day every day, and I encourage Members to do events at their train stations throughout the year.

As Chair of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, I have had the privilege to see firsthand passenger rail systems in other countries. I took the high-speed train from Brussels to Paris--200 miles in 1 hour and 15 minutes; from Barcelona to Madrid--350 miles in 2.5 hours. The advantage for travelers and the business community and others is tremendous.

We need to catch up with the world; and with gas prices continuing to increase steadily, now is the perfect time for us to make serious our investment in passenger rail.

Amtrak ridership and revenue have never been stronger. In 2008, Amtrak set a record for ridership, exceeding 28.7 million passengers. In the same year, ticket revenues increased by 14.2 percent, for more than $1.7 billion. For my State of Florida, Amtrak expenditures for goods and services were over $40 million last year, and we currently have over 700 Floridians as employees.

More than just a convenient way to travel, Amtrak is the most energy efficient. Rail travel is more efficient than cars or airplanes. According to U.S. Department of Energy data, Amtrak is 17 percent more efficient than domestic airline travel and 21 percent more efficient than auto travel.

Passenger rail also reduces global warming. The average passenger train produces 60 percent lower carbon emissions than cars, and 50 percent less than airplanes.

I travel all over the country and have conducted many transportation roundtable events that feature rail and its importance. Let me tell you that people love Amtrak and they love the train. It is a great way to commute to work, take cars off congested highways, and improve the environment. In many areas of the country, it is the only mode of public transportation. Let me repeat that: in many areas of the country, Amtrak is the only mode of public transportation available.

We still have a lot of work ahead of us with Amtrak, but we took a major step forward last year when we passed legislation reauthorizing Amtrak at a level that would allow it to grow and prosper, and earlier this year when we provided $1.7 billion in stimulus funding for Amtrak, and $8 billion for development of a high-speed rail corridor.

Major infrastructure improvements are still necessary to improve the safety and security of the system and its passengers and workers. Amtrak has and will continue to play a critical role in evacuating and transporting citizens during national emergencies. Unfortunately, it also is a prime target for those who wish to harm us, and we must provide resources to make the system less vulnerable.

Fifty years ago, President Eisenhower created the National Highway System that changed the way we travel in this country. Today, we need to do the same with our rail system; and with the Amtrak reauthorization and real funding for high-speed rail, we are doing that.

The United States used to have a first-class passenger rail system. However, after years of neglect, we are now the caboose--and they don't use cabooses anymore. The American people deserve better, and I believe our government's new commitment to Amtrak will go a long way to restore passenger rail service.

I encourage my colleagues to show their support for our Nation's rail system and its employees by holding events at their local commuter train stations anytime during the year.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight the importance of intercity passenger rail in the United States and express my support for Amtrak in conjunction with its 2nd Annual National Train Day on May 9, 2009.

National Train Day was established to celebrate train travel in America on the anniversary of completing the first transcontinental railroad 140 years ago. To mark the day, Amtrak is hosting free events across the country to teach adults and children about Amtrak and the benefits of intercity passenger rail.

Passenger rail's benefits indeed are myriad. The Department of Transportation has described the problem of congestion on our highways and in the air as ``chronic''. Amtrak removes almost 8 million cars from the road annually. Airports are also experiencing significant delays, with more than 550,000 flights departing or arriving late in 2008. Amtrak eases air congestion by eliminating the need for 50,000 fully loaded airplanes each year.

Amtrak is substantially more environmentally friendly than automobiles or airplanes. In fact, according to the World Resources Institute, rail transportation produces 57 percent less carbon emissions than airplanes, and 40 percent less carbon emissions than cars. Additionally, Amtrak has taken decisive action to reduce its carbon footprint as well, committing to reduce emissions from its diesel locomotives by 6 percent from 2003 through 2010, the largest voluntary emissions commitment in the United States.

Amtrak serves more than 500 destinations in 46 States over 21,000 miles of routes, and employs more than 18,000 people. Amtrak has come a long way since its inception in 1971 and now its beginning its 39th year of operation. The service has faced many challenges over the years, but continues to grow stronger with each passing year. Despite past uneven Federal investment, Amtrak has persevered, achieving many successes in improved operating efficiency, increased ridership, and higher revenue.

In fact, in FY 2008, Amtrak set new ridership and revenue records for the sixth year in a row, exceeding 28.7 million passengers and $2.45 billion in revenue. These increases are being enjoyed across Amtrak's entire network. In FY 2008, Amtrak held a 62 percent share of the air/ rail market between New York and Washington, and a 47 percent share of the air/rail market between New York and Boston, up 6 percent in each market from FY 2007. This increase shows that, where Amtrak is provided the resources to succeed, it provides a trip-time competitive alternative to air and car.

At a time when jobs are being lost, the transportation network is getting more congested, and global climate change is taking its toll, supporting passenger rail has never been so critical. Recognizing the need for passenger rail investment, Congress passed the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act last fall, reigniting America's commitment to both intercity and high-speed passenger rail. Among the steps taken to broaden our use of passenger rail, this legislation provided capital grants for Amtrak to bring the Northeast Corridor and other rail network infrastructure to a state-of-good-repair, encouraged intercity passenger rail investment through an 80-20 matching grant program, and created a grant program to finance the construction and equipment for 11 authorized high-speed rail corridors.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act gave high-speed and intercity passenger rail another immediate boost, providing $8 billion in capital grants to States for development of high-speed rail and another $1.3 billion for Amtrak. This funding is setting us on a course to link regions of the country with a safe, fast, and environmentally friendly mode of transportation. It truly is an exciting and historic time for our transportation network.

Madam Speaker, I lend my strong support to Amtrak and the commemoration of National Train Day on May 9, 2009, and encourage all of my colleagues to use this excellent opportunity to reflect on the benefits that Amtrak and intercity passenger rail provide to our Nation.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

The ceremonial golden spike hammered at Promontory Summit, Utah, May 10, 1869, marked the completion of the transcontinental railroad, one of the Nation's greatest engineering masterpieces. It also marked the birth of what would become the greatest rail network in the world and 140 years later, we are still reaping the benefits of our ancestors' vision.

The United States now has over 140,000 miles of railroads, making up the transportation backbone of this Nation. Our railroads are environmentally friendly, producing significantly less pollution than other modes of transportation. A train can haul one ton of freight 436 miles on one gallon of diesel fuel, and it is three times cleaner than other modes. Trains also help to alleviate the congestion on our crowded highways. One train can actually take 280 trucks off the road.

The deregulation law of 1980, the Staggers Act, has been an unparalleled success. We must take great care to protect the regulatory environment that has allowed the railroads to thrive and resist any effort that would undo all of the progress that this industry has made in efficiency and safety.

On the passenger rail side, last year President Bush signed into law an Amtrak reauthorization that will take this country into the next generation of passenger rail service. The law makes important reforms to Amtrak and also creates a role for the private sector in the passenger rail industry.

The Amtrak reauthorization, the first in a decade, created a framework for a public-private partnership for the construction of true high-speed rail corridors all over this Nation. High-speed rail promises safe, fast, and convenient service--all the while helping to alleviate aviation and highway congestion we face in this country.

The continued success of the railroad industry is vital to this country's economy. I would therefore urge passage of H. Res. 367, which would create National Train Day on May 9.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 367. This resolution marks the 140th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad and the beginning of America's strong dependence on rail transportation.

Since the golden spike was driven into the final tie at Promontory Summit in 1869, our nation has relied on passenger and freight rail to build our communities and enhance our way of life.

And like then, our economic growth depends on the ability to move goods and people quickly and reliably.

For anyone who has driven on the I-95 corridor recently, it is strikingly clear that highway congestion has become a critical problem--threatening business productivity, increasing safety risks, and hindering efforts to improve air quality. In fact, studies have shown that travelers in the Northeast waste approximately 700,000 hours and 500,000 gallons of fuel sitting in traffic delays every year.

Fixing our transportation system will take a sustained, long-term investment. Last month, President Obama announced a new Strategic Plan to build a national high-speed rail network. Now, it is incumbent upon us to ensure this plan is effective in addressing the critical mobility challenges in heavily congested areas of the country, like the Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington, DC.

In 2008, Amtrak set a new record with 28.7 million passengers-- including millions of travelers and commuters in the Northeast. I commend Amtrak for its efforts to increase ridership and improve its on-time performance over the last several years.

As cochair of the House Passenger Rail Caucus, and more importantly one of the thousands of commuters who rely on Amtrak almost daily, I can attest to the accomplishments of our nation's railroads and I look forward to joining my colleagues in exploring their untapped potential.

I thank Chairwoman Brown for her strong leadership on this important issue and I congratulate America's railroads in celebrating National Train Day.