(The Associated Press circulated the following article on June 17.)
RICHMOND, Va. — Gov. Mark R. Warner on Friday signed legislation creating the Rail Enhancement Fund, $23 million earmarked annually for investment in Virginia’s railroad infrastructure.
The fund, which will take effect July 1, will support improvements to passenger, commuter and freight rail projects.
“People have been talking for years about the critical need for us to reinvest in rail. Today, we are putting money behind the promise with a predictable, stable funding source for improvements to our rail infrastructure,” Warner said at an appearance in Norfolk.
“This legislation is an important step in helping to take trucks off the road, and it will provide more transportation options for Virginians as we work toward a more balanced transportation network,” he said.
The funds can be tapped if the state receives a minimum matching contribution of at least 30 percent from non-state sources such as local governments, regional authorities or railroad companies.
“The Rail Enhancement Fund will be leveraged with private and local resources to deliver a greater return on investment for Virginians,” Secretary of Transportation Pierce Homer said.
The Commonwealth Transportation Board will select rail-improvement projects based upon the recommendations of an advisory board that comes into existence July 1. The panel will consist of nine members whom Warner appoints to four-year terms.
Virginia has 3,400 miles of track, all of which are privately owned by freight railroads. Two passenger railroads, VRE and Amtrak, operate on about 616 miles of track in Virginia. In 2002, these railroads carried 3.8 million passengers.