BUILDING A 21ST-CENTURY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR AMERICA: RAIL STAKEHOLDERS’ PERSPECTIVES (115–27) HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON RAILROADS, PIPELINES, AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION OCTOBER 4, 2017 Printed for the use of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure ( Available online at: https://www.govinfo.gov/committee/house-transportation?path=/ browsecommittee/chamber/house/committee/transportation U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 29–828 PDF WASHINGTON : 2018 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Publishing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate Aug 31 2005 10:10 Apr 24, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 P:\HEARINGS\115\RR\2017\10-4-2~1\29828.TXT JEAN COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE BILL SHUSTER, Pennsylvania, Chairman DON YOUNG, Alaska PETER A. DEFAZIO, Oregon JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR., Tennessee, ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, District of Vice Chair Columbia FRANK A. LOBIONDO, New Jersey JERROLD NADLER, New York SAM GRAVES, Missouri EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas DUNCAN HUNTER, California ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland ERIC A. ‘‘RICK’’ CRAWFORD, Arkansas RICK LARSEN, Washington LOU BARLETTA, Pennsylvania MICHAEL E. CAPUANO, Massachusetts BLAKE FARENTHOLD, Texas GRACE F. NAPOLITANO, California BOB GIBBS, Ohio DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois DANIEL WEBSTER, Florida STEVE COHEN, Tennessee JEFF DENHAM, California ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey THOMAS MASSIE, Kentucky JOHN GARAMENDI, California MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina HENRY C. ‘‘HANK’’ JOHNSON, JR., Georgia SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania ANDRE´ CARSON, Indiana RODNEY DAVIS, Illinois RICHARD M. NOLAN, Minnesota MARK SANFORD, South Carolina DINA TITUS, Nevada ROB WOODALL, Georgia SEAN PATRICK MALONEY, New York TODD ROKITA, Indiana ELIZABETH H. ESTY, Connecticut, Vice JOHN KATKO, New York Ranking Member BRIAN BABIN, Texas LOIS FRANKEL, Florida GARRET GRAVES, Louisiana CHERI BUSTOS, Illinois BARBARA COMSTOCK, Virginia JARED HUFFMAN, California DAVID ROUZER, North Carolina JULIA BROWNLEY, California MIKE BOST, Illinois FREDERICA S. WILSON, Florida RANDY K. WEBER, SR., Texas DONALD M. PAYNE, JR., New Jersey DOUG LAMALFA, California ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California BRUCE WESTERMAN, Arkansas BRENDA L. LAWRENCE, Michigan LLOYD SMUCKER, Pennsylvania MARK DESAULNIER, California PAUL MITCHELL, Michigan JOHN J. FASO, New York A. DREW FERGUSON IV, Georgia BRIAN J. MAST, Florida JASON LEWIS, Minnesota (II) VerDate Aug 31 2005 10:10 Apr 24, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 0486 Sfmt 0486 P:\HEARINGS\115\RR\2017\10-4-2~1\29828.TXT JEAN SUBCOMMITTEE ON RAILROADS, PIPELINES, AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS JEFF DENHAM, California, Chairman JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR., Tennessee MICHAEL E. CAPUANO, Massachusetts SAM GRAVES, Missouri DONALD M. PAYNE, JR., New Jersey LOU BARLETTA, Pennsylvania JERROLD NADLER, New York BLAKE FARENTHOLD, Texas ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland DANIEL WEBSTER, Florida STEVE COHEN, Tennessee MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania JOHN GARAMENDI, California MARK SANFORD, South Carolina ANDRE´ CARSON, Indiana TODD ROKITA, Indiana RICHARD M. NOLAN, Minnesota JOHN KATKO, New York ELIZABETH H. ESTY, Connecticut BRIAN BABIN, Texas CHERI BUSTOS, Illinois RANDY K. WEBER, SR., Texas FREDERICA S. WILSON, Florida BRUCE WESTERMAN, Arkansas MARK DESAULNIER, California LLOYD SMUCKER, Pennsylvania DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois PAUL MITCHELL, Michigan PETER A. DEFAZIO, Oregon (Ex Officio) JOHN J. FASO, New York, Vice Chair JASON LEWIS, Minnesota BILL SHUSTER, Pennsylvania (Ex Officio) (III) VerDate Aug 31 2005 10:10 Apr 24, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 0486 Sfmt 0486 P:\HEARINGS\115\RR\2017\10-4-2~1\29828.TXT JEAN VerDate Aug 31 2005 10:10 Apr 24, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 0486 Sfmt 0486 P:\HEARINGS\115\RR\2017\10-4-2~1\29828.TXT JEAN CONTENTS Page Summary of Subject Matter .................................................................................... vi WITNESSES Edward R. Hamberger, President and Chief Executive Officer, Association of American Railroads: Testimony .......................................................................................................... 3 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 40 Responses to questions for the record from: Majority-side subcommittee ...................................................................... 55 Minority-side subcommittee ..................................................................... 61 Supplementary information to responses to questions for the record .. 63 Charles ‘‘Wick’’ Moorman, Cochief Executive Officer, Amtrak: Testimony .......................................................................................................... 3 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 82 Responses to questions for the record from: Majority-side subcommittee ...................................................................... 87 Minority-side subcommittee ..................................................................... 88 Linda Bauer Darr, President, American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association: Testimony .......................................................................................................... 3 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 90 Responses to questions for the record from the minority-side sub- committee ...................................................................................................... 95 Thomas DeJoseph, Senior Advisor of Industry Relations, Loram Maintenance of Way, on behalf of the Railway Supply Institute: Testimony .......................................................................................................... 3 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 97 Responses to questions for the record from the minority-side sub- committee ...................................................................................................... 105 Larry I. Willis, President, Transportation Trades Department, AFL–CIO: Testimony .......................................................................................................... 3 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 108 Responses to questions for the record from the minority-side sub- committee ...................................................................................................... 118 SUBMISSIONS FOR THE RECORD Letter of October 18, 2017, from James Pollard, Chief Executive Officer, OptaSense, to Hon. Jeff Denham, Chairman, and Hon. Michael E. Capuano, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure ................ 120 Testimony of Ray B. Chambers, President, Association of Independent Pas- senger Rail Operators .......................................................................................... 122 (V) VerDate Aug 31 2005 10:10 Apr 24, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 P:\HEARINGS\115\RR\2017\10-4-2~1\29828.TXT JEAN vi VerDate Aug 31 2005 10:10 Apr 24, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\HEARINGS\115\RR\2017\10-4-2~1\29828.TXT JEAN Insert offset folio 1 here 29828.001 vii VerDate Aug 31 2005 10:10 Apr 24, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\HEARINGS\115\RR\2017\10-4-2~1\29828.TXT JEAN Insert offset folio 2 here 29828.002 viii VerDate Aug 31 2005 10:10 Apr 24, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\HEARINGS\115\RR\2017\10-4-2~1\29828.TXT JEAN Insert offset folio 3 here 29828.003 ix VerDate Aug 31 2005 10:10 Apr 24, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\HEARINGS\115\RR\2017\10-4-2~1\29828.TXT JEAN Insert offset folio 4 here 29828.004 x VerDate Aug 31 2005 10:10 Apr 24, 2018 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6602 Sfmt 6602 P:\HEARINGS\115\RR\2017\10-4-2~1\29828.TXT JEAN Insert offset folio 5 here 29828.005 BUILDING A 21ST-CENTURY INFRASTRUC- TURE FOR AMERICA: RAIL STAKEHOLDERS’ PERSPECTIVES WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON RAILROADS, PIPELINES, AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE, Washington, DC. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:03 a.m. in room 2167, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Jeff Denham (Chair- man of the subcommittee) presiding. Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Capuano is already complaining that we are a couple minutes behind, so I thought we had better get things roll- ing here. Good morning and welcome to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. Our hearing today is ‘‘Build- ing a 21st-Century Infrastructure for America: Rail Stakeholders’ Perspectives.’’ So, first of all, the committee will come to order. I would like to welcome all of you here. We are seeking your input as we put to- gether our overall infrastructure package. Our goal is to rebuild, expand, and improve our current rail system, and make sure that it is a system that is competing or expanding as other areas of in- frastructure are moving forward, as well. And in the