required goals

required goals Sec. 703. The Northeast Corridor improvement project shall be implemented by the Secretary in order to achieve the following goals: (1) Intercity Rail Passenger Services.— (A) (i) Within 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the establishment of regularly scheduled and dependable intercity rail passenger service between Boston, Massachusetts, and New York, New York, operating on a 3-hour-and-40-minute schedule, including appropriate intermediate stops; and regularly scheduled and dependable intercity rail passenger service between New York, New York, and Washington, District of Columbia, operating on a 2-hour-and-40-minute schedule, including appropriate intermediate stops. (ii) Improvements in facilities in accordance with route criteria approved by the Congress, on routes to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Albany, New York, from the Northeast Corridor main line, and from Springfield, Massachusetts, to Boston, Massachusetts, and New Haven, Connecticut, in order to facilitate compatibility with improved high-speed rail service operated on the Northeast Corridor main line. (B) The improvement of nonoperational portions of stations (as determined by the Secretary in consultation with the National Railroad Passenger Corporation) used in intercity rail passenger service and of related facilities and fencing. Fifty percent of the cost of such improvements shall be borne by States (or local or regional transportation authorities), except that the Secretary may, in his sole discretion, fund entirely any safety-related improvement. (C) The improvements required by this section shall be accomplished in a manner which is compatible with the accomplishment in the future of additional improvements in service levels, and which will produce the maximum labor benefit in terms of hiring persons who are presently unemployed. (D) The submission by the Secretary and the National Railroad Passenger Corporation to the Congress of annual reports on progress achieved and work in progress and planned (including the need for further improvements) with respect to the completion of this program, including an up-to-date accounting of intercity passenger ridership, revenues from such ridership, expenses, and on-time dependability of intercity passenger trains in the Northeast Corridor. (E) Within 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the submission by the Secretary to the Congress of a report on the financial and operating results of the intercity rail passenger service established under this section, on the rail freight service improved and maintained pursuant to this section, and on the 90 STAT. 122practicability, considering engineering and financial feasibility and market demand, of the establishment of regularly scheduled and dependable intercity rail passenger service between Boston, Massachusetts, and New York, New York, operating on a 3-hour schedule, including appropriate intermediate stops, and regularly scheduled and dependable intercity rail passenger service bet ween New York, New York, and Washington, District of Columbia, operating on a 2-hour schedule, including appropriate intermediate stops. Such report shall include a full and complete accounting of the need for improvements in intercity passenger transportation within the Northeast Corridor and a full accounting of he public costs and benefits of improving various modes of transportation to meet those needs. If such report shows (i) that further improvements are needed in intercity passenger transportation in the Northeast Corridor, and (ii) that improvements (in addition to those required by subparagraph (A)(i) of this paragraph) in the rail system in such area would return the most public benefits for the public costs involved, the Secretary shall make appropriate recommendations to the Congress. Within 6 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit an updated comprehensive report, on the matters referred to in this subparagraph. Thereafter, if it is practicable, the Secretary shall facilitate the establishment of intercity rail passenger service in the Corridor which achieves the service goals specified in this subparagraph. (2) Rail Commuter Services, Rail Rapid Transit, and Local Transportation.—To the extent compatible with the goals contained in paragraph (1) of this section, the facilitation of improvements in and usage of rail commuter services, rail rapid transit, and local public transportation. (3) Rail Freight Service.—The maintenance and improvement of rail freight service to all users of rail freight service located on or adjacent to the Northeast Corridor and the maintenance and improvement of all through-freight services which remain in the Northeast Corridor, to the extent compatible with the goals contained in paragraphs (1) and (2) of tins section. (4) Passenger Radio Telephone Service.—To the extent compatible with the goals contained in paragraph (1) of this section, the continuation of and improvement in passenger radio telephone service aboard trains operated in high-speed rail service between Washington, District of Columbia, and Boston, Massachusetts. The President and relevant Federal agencies, including the Federal Communications Commission, shall take such actions as are necessary to achieve this goal, subject to the provisions of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.), including necessary licensing, construction, operation, and maintenance standards for the radio service, as determined by the Federal Communications Commission to be in the public interest, convenience, and necessity.