John Kerry: “Today I was pleased to join with Senator Wyden to cosponsor an amendment concerning an issue of great importance to a…”

“Today I was pleased to join with Senator Wyden to cosponsor an amendment concerning an issue of great importance to a number of my constituents. Many of them have contacted me about the 1994 Swift Rail Development Act [SRDA]. As you know, the SRDA allows for Federal preemption of local train whistle bans so that all trains would begin sounding their whistles one-quarter mile before reaching any grade crossing. My home State of Massachusetts has 88 grade crossings in some 27 communities whose whistle bans would be preempted by this law. Many of these communities have good safety record: From January 1988 through June 1994, the Federal Railroad Administration [FRA] noted 34 accidents involving one fatality and 15 injuries at these crossings. Some of these communities are strongly opposed to Federal preemption of their whistle bans. Their concerns were not allayed by FRA officials at a meeting that took place in Beverly on October 25, 1995 to discuss the SRDA. A member of my staff reported that many who attended desired outright repeal of the SRDA.”