§1165 Fire and life safety improvements

Summary

Makes money available for Amtrak to improve fire and life safety in certain Northeast Corridor tunnels and sets rules for how the money is given. It provides these exact amounts for tunnel work: for the 6 New York/New Jersey tunnels — $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, $30,000,000 for 2009, $45,000,000 for 2010, and $60,000,000 for 2011. For the Baltimore Potomac Tunnel and the Union Tunnel combined — $5,000,000 each year for fiscal years 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. For the Union Station tunnels in Washington, D.C. — $5,000,000 each year for fiscal years 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. It also makes $3,000,000 available in fiscal year 2008 (from other appropriations) to pay for preliminary design work on options for a new Baltimore tunnel. All of these amounts stay available until they are spent. The Secretary of Transportation cannot release any of the money until Amtrak gives an engineering and financial plan and a project management plan for each project and the Secretary approves them. The Secretary must approve or reject each plan within 45 days. If a plan is incomplete, the Secretary tells Amtrak what is missing and Amtrak has 30 days to send a fixed plan. After that, the Secretary has short deadlines (15 days or 45 days depending on the materials) to act. If parts are still incomplete, the Secretary must tell Congress in writing which parts are lacking, approve and fund the other parts, and make a written agreement with Amtrak within 15 days about how to finish the remaining items. The Secretary must also consider whether other railroads use the tunnels and, if reasonable, seek and obtain financial contributions from them based on their use.