TITLE 49 - US CODE - CHAPTER 261 - HIGH-SPEED RAIL ASSISTANCE

49 USC 26101 - Corridor development

(a) Corridor Development Assistance.—

(1) The Secretary may provide under this section financial assistance to a public agency or group of public agencies for corridor development for up to 50 percent of the publicly financed costs associated with eligible activities.

(2) No less than 20 percent of the publicly financed costs associated with eligible activities shall come from State and local sources, which State and local sources may not include funds from any Federal program.

(b) Eligible Activities.—

(1) A corridor development activity is eligible for financial assistance under subsection (a) if the Secretary determines that it is necessary to establish appropriate engineering, operational, financial, environmental, or socioeconomic projections for the establishment of high-speed rail service in the corridor and that it leads toward development of a prudent financial and institutional plan for implementation of specific high-speed rail improvements, or if it is an activity described in subparagraph (M). Eligible corridor development activities include

(A) environmental assessments;

(B) feasibility studies emphasizing commercial technology improvements or applications;

(D) assessing the impact on rail employment of developing high-speed rail corridors;

(E) assessing community economic impacts;

(F) coordination with State and metropolitan area transportation planning and corridor development with other States;

(G) operational planning;

(H) route selection analyses and purchase of rights-of-way for proposed high-speed rail service;

(I) preliminary engineering and design;

(J) identification of specific improvements to a corridor, including electrification, line straightening and other right-of-way improvements, bridge rehabilitation and replacement, use of advanced locomotives and rolling stock, ticketing, coordination with other modes of transportation, parking and other means of passenger access, track, signal, station, and other capital work, and use of intermodal terminals;

(K) preparation of financing plans and prospectuses;

(L) creation of public/private partnerships; and

(M) the acquisition of locomotives, rolling stock, track, and signal equipment.

(2) No financial assistance shall be provided under this section for corridor development with respect to the main line of the Northeast Corridor, between Washington, District of Columbia, and Boston, Massachusetts.

(c) Criteria for Determining Financial Assistance.—
Selection by the Secretary of recipients of financial assistance under this section shall be based on such criteria as the Secretary considers appropriate, including

(1) the relationship of the corridor to the Secretarys national high-speed ground transportation policy;

(2) the extent to which the proposed development focuses on systems which will achieve sustained speeds of 125 mph or greater;

(3) the integration of the corridor into metropolitan area and statewide transportation planning;

(4) the potential interconnection of the corridor with other parts of the Nations transportation system, including the interconnection with other countries;

(5) the anticipated effect of the corridor on the congestion of other modes of transportation;

(6) whether the work to be funded will aid the efforts of State and local governments to comply with the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.);

(7) the past and proposed financial commitments and other support of State and local governments and the private sector to the proposed high-speed rail program, including the acquisition of rolling stock;

(8) the estimated level of ridership;

(9) the estimated capital cost of corridor improvements, including the cost of closing, improving, or separating highway-rail grade crossings;

(10) rail transportation employment impacts;

(11) community economic impacts;

(12) the extent to which the projected revenues of the proposed high-speed rail service, along with any financial commitments of State or local governments and the private sector, are expected to cover capital costs and operating and maintenance expenses;

(13) whether a specific route has been selected, specific improvements identified, and capacity studies completed; and

(14) whether the corridor has been designated as a high-speed rail corridor by the Secretary.

49 USC 26102 - High-speed rail technology improvements

(a) Authority.—
The Secretary may undertake activities for the improvement, adaptation, and integration of proven technologies for commercial application in high-speed rail service in the United States.

(b) Eligible Recipients.—
In carrying out activities authorized by subsection (a), the Secretary may provide financial assistance to any United States private business, educational institution located in the United States, State or local government or public authority, or agency of the Federal Government.

(c) Consultation With Other Agencies.—
In carrying out activities authorized by subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with such other governmental agencies as may be necessary concerning the availability of appropriate technologies for commercial application in high-speed rail service in the United States.

49 USC 26103 - Safety regulations

The Secretary shall promulgate such safety regulations as may be necessary for high-speed rail services.

49 USC 26104 - Authorization of appropriations

(a) Fiscal Years 2006 Through 2013.—
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary

(1) $70,000,000 for carrying out section 26101; and

(2) $30,000,000 for carrying out section 26102,

for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2013.

(b) Funds To Remain Available.—
Funds made available under this section shall remain available until expended.

49 USC 26105 - Definitions

For purposes of this chapter

(1) the term financial assistance includes grants, contracts,,^[1] cooperative agreements, and other transactions;

(2) the term high-speed rail means all forms of nonhighway ground transportation that run on rails or electromagnetic guideways providing transportation service which is

(A) reasonably expected to reach sustained speeds of more than 125 miles per hour; and

(B) made available to members of the general public as passengers,

but does not include rapid transit operations within an urban area that are not connected to the general rail system of transportation;

(3) the term publicly financed costs means the costs funded after April 29, 1993, by Federal, State, and local governments;

(4) the term Secretary means the Secretary of Transportation;

(5) the term State means any of the several States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and any other territory or possession of the United States; and

(6) the term United States private business means a business entity organized under the laws of the United States, or of a State, and conducting substantial business operations in the United States.

[1] So in original.