Program master plan for Boston-New York main line

§ 24903. Program master plan for Boston-New York main line (a) Contents.—Not later than October 27, 1993, in consultation with Amtrak and the commuter and freight rail carriers operating over the Northeast Corridor main line between Boston, Massachusetts, and New York, New York, the Secretary of Transportation shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a program master plan for a coordinated program of improvements to that main line that will allow the establishment of regularly scheduled, safe, and dependable rail passenger transportation between Boston, Massachusetts, and New York, New York, in not more than 3 hours, including intermediate stops. The plan shall include— (1) a description of the implications of the improvements for the regional transportation system, including the probable effects on general travel trends and on travel volumes in other transportation modes and the implications for State and local governments in achieving compliance with the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.); (2) an identification of the coordinated program of improvements and the specific projects of that program, including the estimated costs, schedules, timing, and relationship of those projects with other projects; (3) an identification of the financial responsibility for the specific projects of that program and the sources of the amounts for the projects; (4) an operating plan for the construction period of the improvements that shows a coordinated approach to scheduling intercity and commuter trains; (5) an operating plan for the coordinated scheduling of intercity and commuter trains for the period after the program is completed, including priority scheduling, dispatching, and occupancy of tracks for appropriately frequent, regularly scheduled intercity rail passenger transportation between Boston, Massachusetts, and New York, New York, in not more than 3 hours, including intermediate stops; (6) a comprehensive plan to control future congestion in the Northeast Corridor attributable to increases in intercity and commuter rail passenger transportation; 108 STAT. 934 (7) an assessment of long-term operational safety needs and a list of specific projects designed to maximize operational safety; and (8) comments that Amtrak submits to the Secretary on the plan. (b) Submitting Modifications of Plan to Congress.—The Secretary shall submit to Congress any modification made to the program master plan and comments that Amtrak submits on the modification.