Yes, my understanding is that the lack of signed agreements with the freight railroads and the FRA position on them has been the big hold-up in getting the funding obligated and contracts signed for many of the stimulus HSIPR projects. If the agreement with Washington State and BNSF breaks the logjam by establishing a common framework that the FRA and the freight railroads can live with, hopefully the agreements in other states can be settled soon so work can get started in SC, VA, NY, MI, MA, and other projects this summer on the freight lines.
The DOT press release on the agreement can be found at
http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2011/dot2711.html. Quoting from it:
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood issued the following statement today:
“President Obama's historic investments in a national high-speed rail network will enable America to win the future by creating construction and manufacturing jobs today and laying the foundation for future economic growth. By building safe, reliable and energy-efficient passenger rail corridors we will be able to help small businesses thrive and move people and goods more quickly than ever before. I am thrilled to congratulate the State of Washington, BNSF, and Amtrak for their contributions to the agreement signed today by the Federal Railroad Administration and Washington DOT that will make $590 million available for work to begin on significant improvements to the popular Cascades corridor, which connects Eugene, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver. Thanks to the hard work, dedication, and flexibility of all parties involved in the negotiations, this agreement will immediately put Washingtonians to work in good paying jobs, significantly improve rail service for commuters and travelers, and preserve the world-class freight rail system America has today.”
Presumably this means the $590 million is obligated or will be obligated very soon which should protect it from House Republican attempts to rescind the funding.
