Senate Commerce Chairman Ernest Hollings (D.-S.C.) on March 6 introduced a
comprehensive passenger rail reauthorization bill, S.1991, the "National
Defense Rail Act". It had 22 sponsors as of yesterday, including Senators
Stevens (R.-Alaska; Appropriations Chairman), Snowe (R.-Me.), and Hutchison
(R.-Tex.). A hearing on the bill is scheduled for March 14 in the Commerce
Committee.

Details:

*Authorizes, for 2003 only, $1.26 billion for various rail security needs
(similar to S.1550), including $360 million for Amtrak security needs (half
available for Northeast Corridor), $5 million for DOT to perform a security
assessment of all passenger and freight rail systems, $895 million for
life/safety upgrades to Amtrak tunnels in New York, Baltimore, and
Washington, $3 million for preliminary design work for Baltimore tunnels.

*Authorizes, annually for 2003 through 2008, $1.55 billion for high-speed
rail, of which $25 million is for DOT research and development, $25 million
is for DOT planning, and $1.5 billion is for corridor implementation (away
from Northeast Corridor, unless Northeast Corridor receives no other federal
funding, see below).

*Expands current network of federally designated high-speed corridors,
adding Atlanta-Charleston, Raleigh-Florence-Charleston-Savannah,
Florence-Myrtle Beach, Los Angeles-Las Vegas, with highest priorities to
hubs identified at Chicago, Atlanta, and Dallas-Fort Worth.

*DOT may add to corridor designations, or reduce them.

*Authorizes, annually, starting in 2003, $1.31 billion for the Northeast
Corridor, of which $720 million is for infrastructure, $100 million is for
rolling stock, $70 million is for stations and facilities, $20 million is
for technology upgrades, $400 million is for growth.

*Any operating profit resulting from Northeast Corridor train operations
must be reinvested in Northeast Corridor infrastructure.

*Authorizes, annually, starting in 2003, $5 million for a passenger rail
research and development program at the National Academy of Sciences,
similar to those already in place for highways and transit.

*Authorizes, annually for 2003 through 2007, $500 million for Amtrak, of
which (on average --amounts vary from year to year) $160 million is for
mandatory excess railroad retirement payments, $267 million is for debt
payments, $30 million is for environmental compliance, $43 million is for
Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.

*Any profit resulting from Amtrak's non-passenger activities must be
invested in non-Northeast Corridor growth.

*Authorizes $2.5 million for one-time external assessment of Amtrak cost
accounting.

*Authorizes, annually, starting in 2003, $580 million for Amtrak's
long-distance network, including $360 million for operations, $120 million
for rolling stock, $80 million for infrastructure, $10 million for stations
and facilities, $10 million for technology upgrades.

*Authorizes, annually, starting in 2003, $270 million for Amtrak's
short-distance and state-supported routes, including $190 million for
infrastructure, $50 million for rolling stock, $10 million for stations,
$20 million for technology upgrades.

*Authorizes, annually, $350 million to go toward a $35 billion expansion of
the existing DOT Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Program,
to provide loans and loan guarantees to passenger and freight railroads.