Political Quotes

“Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, one of the freight railroads that collectively have spent over $5 billion in private funds on implementation, recently sent a letter to the Surface Transportation Board that stated the possibility that ``if Congress has not extended the deadline for PTC operations, as of January 1, 2016, neither passenger nor freight traffic would operate on BNSF lines that are required by Federal law and regulation to have an interoperable PTC system as of that date.'' Critically, as I have noted, this extension is now paired with robust, dedicated, and mandatory funding for PTC implementation among commuter railroads. Recently, the American Public Transportation Association, or APTA, surveyed its commuter railroad members and found that over 50 percent were deferring maintenance to install PTC and only 29 percent had a shot at installation by the end of the year. That is why APTA, the National Association of Railroad Passengers, and rail labor support the inclusion of this critical funding in this underlying measure. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the letter from the American Public Transportation Association. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC, July 28, 2015. Hon. John Thune, Chairman, Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Washington DC.…”