Senate Passes Security Bills for Railroads, Transit
The Senate has approved two bills that authorize a combined $4.6 billion to boost security on railroads and transit systems, but even if the measures are enacted, actual appropriations this year are likely to be much lower than the bills recommend.
The rail and transit measures cleared the Senate on Oct. 1 by unanimous consent. The railroad bill authorizes $1.1 billion, including $662 million over five years to make safety improvements to aging tunnels on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. Six tunnels in New York City would get $570 million, tunnels in Baltimore would receive $60 million and one in Washington, D.C., would get $32 million.