Video details advancement of passenger rail in America.
Press Release Summary:
In new Transportation TV video, FRA Administrator Joe Szabo details 2 major agreements that he says will lead to manufacture and purchase of more than 100 new passenger rail cars in the U.S. Under first agreement, submitted by Sumitomo Corporation of America and Nippon Sharyo, bi-level passenger rail cars will be manufactured at newly established plant in New Rochelle, IL. Second agreement, led by Caltrans, involves purchase of domestically produced passenger rail cars by 5 state DOTs.
Original Press Release:
New Video Details Agreements to Build and Buy Passenger Rail Cars in U.S.
FRA Administrator Szabo Interviewed at NGEC Annual Meeting
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In a new Transportation TV video, Federal Railroad Administration Administrator Joe Szabo discusses what he calls a "historic" achievement for the advancement of passenger rail in America.
Szabo, who spoke to Transportation TV at the 2013 annual meeting of the Next Generation Equipment Committee (NGEC) in Washington, D.C., detailed two major agreements that he says will lead to the manufacture and purchase of more than 100 new passenger rail cars in the United States.
Under the first agreement, submitted by Sumitomo Corporation of America and Nippon Sharyo, bi-level passenger rail cars will be manufactured at a newly established plant in New Rochelle, Ill.
The second agreement, led by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), involves the purchase of the domestically produced passenger rail cars by five state departments of transportation -- California, Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, and Iowa. Their successful bid was approximately 35 percent below the estimated cost due in large part to the use of standardized specifications developed by the NGEC.
"These agreements go a lot further than creating jobs today," said Szabo. "This is about looking to the future. Not only addressing the needs that the states and Amtrak are going to have for their Inter-City Passenger Rail Programs, but how do we drive domestic manufacturing for decades to come?"
Authorized by Congress, the NGEC was established to develop standardized specifications that will reduce costs, shorten procurement schedules, and create a level playing field for U.S. rail equipment manufacturers. NGEC participants include state departments of transportation, the Federal Rail Administration, Amtrak, and the rail manufacturing and supply industry.
Watch Administrator Szabo's interview and special coverage of the 2013 Next Generation Equipment Committee annual meeting at www.TransportationTV.org. Visit the NGEC web site at www.ngec305.org.
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is the “Voice of Transportation” representing State Departments of Transportation in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association serving as a catalyst for excellence in transportation. Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/aashtospeaks.
