§1165 Fire and Life Safety Improvements

Summary

Gives money to Amtrak to make fire and safety upgrades in several Northeast Corridor tunnels. It provides $25,000,000 in FY2008, $30,000,000 in FY2009, $45,000,000 in FY2010, and $60,000,000 in FY2011 for six New York and New Jersey tunnels to add ventilation, electrical and fire systems, emergency lighting and communication, and ways for passengers to get in and out. It also provides $5,000,000 each year (2008–2011) for the Baltimore Potomac and Union tunnels together, and $5,000,000 each year (2008–2011) for the Union Station tunnels in Washington, D.C. Using funds from section 1153, $3,000,000 is made available in FY2008 to design options for a new Baltimore tunnel. All of these amounts stay available until they are spent. Money can’t be given to Amtrak until Amtrak sends, and the Secretary of Transportation approves, an engineering and financial plan and a project management plan for each project. The Secretary must accept or reject each plan within 45 days. If a plan is incomplete, the Secretary tells Amtrak and Amtrak has 30 days to fix it. After Amtrak sends more information, the Secretary has 15 days to act on previously included items and 45 days to act on newly added items. If parts are still missing, the Secretary must tell Congress what is missing, approve and fund the other parts, and sign an agreement with Amtrak within 15 days to finish the rest. The Secretary should also consider other railroads that use the tunnels and, if reasonable, get them to pay part of the costs based on how much they use the tunnels.