FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION

FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION Office of the Administrator For necessary expenses of the Federal Railroad Administration, not otherwise provided for, $20,290,000, of which $1,389,000 shall remain available until expended: Provided, That none of the funds in this Act shall be available for the planning or execution of a program making commitments to guarantee new loans under the Emergency Rail Services Act of 1970, as amended, and no new commitments to guarantee loans under section 211(a) or 211(h) of the Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1973, as amended, shall be made: Provided further, That, as part of the Washington Union Station transaction in which the Secretary assumed the first deed of trust on the property and, where the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation or any successor is obligated to make payments on such deed of trust on the Secretary’s behalf, including payments on and after September 30, 1988, the Secretary is authorized to 111 STAT. 1434receive such payments directly from the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation, credit them to the appropriation charged for the first deed of trust, and make payments on the first deed of trust with those funds: Provided further, That such additional sums as may be necessary for payment on the first deed of trust may be advanced by the Administrator from unobligated balances available to the Federal Railroad Administration, to be reimbursed from payments received from the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation. Railroad Safety For necessary expenses in connection with railroad safety, not otherwise provided tor, $57,067,000, of which $5,511,000 shall remain available until expended: Provided, That notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds appropriated under this heading are available for the reimbursement of out-of-state travel and per diem costs incurred by employees of State governments directly supporting the Federal railroad safety program, including regulatory development and compliance-related activities. Railroad Research and Development For necessary expenses for railroad research and development, $20,758,000, to remain available until expended. Northeast Corridor Improvement Program For necessary expenses related to Northeast Corridor improvements authorized by title VII of the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976, as amended (45 U.S.C. 851 et seq.) and 49 U.S.C. 24909, $250,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2000, of which $12,000,000 shall be for the Pennsylvania Station Redevelopment Project. Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Program The Secretary of Transportation is authorized to issue to the Secretary of the Treasury notes or other obligations pursuant to section 512 of the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 (Public Law 94–210), as amended, in such amounts and at such times as may be necessary to pay any amounts required pursuant to the guarantee of the principal amount of obligations under sections 511 through 513 of such Act, such authority to exist as long as any such guaranteed obligation is outstanding: Provided, That no new loan guarantee commitments shall be made during fiscal year 1998. Next Generation High-Speed Rail For necessary expenses for Next Generation High-Speed Rail studies, corridor planning, development, demonstration, and implementation, $20,395,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That funds under this heading may be made available for grants to States for high-speed rail corridor design, feasibility studies, environmental analyses, and track and signal improvements.111 STAT. 1435 Alaska Railroad Rehabilitation To enable the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to the Alaska Railroad, $15,280,000 shall be for capital rehabilitation and improvements benefiting its passenger operations. Rhode Island Rail Development For the costs associated with construction of a third track on the Northeast Corridor between Davisville and Central Falls, Rhode Island, with sufficient clearance to accommodate double stack freight cars, $10,000,000, to be matched by the State of Rhode Island or its designee on a dollar-for-dollar basis and to remain available until expended: Provided, That as a condition of accepting such funds, the Providence and Worcester (P&W) Railroad shall enter into an agreement with the Secretary to reimburse Amtrak and/or the Federal Railroad Administration, on a dollar-for-dollar basis, up to the first $23,000,000 in damages resulting from the legal action initiated by the P&W Railroad under its existing contracts with Amtrak relating to the provision of vertical clearances between Davisville and Central Falls in excess of those required for present freight operations. Grants to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation To enable the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation authorized by 49 U.S.C. 24104, $543,000,000, to remain available until expended, of which $344,000,000 shall be available for operating losses, and $199,000,000 shall be for capital improvements: Provided, That if Amtrak reform legislation as required by section 977(f) of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 is enacted into law prior to the distribution by the Secretary of any of the funds appropriated above for capital improvements, then the portion of this appropriation made available for capital improvements shall not be available for obligation and the Secretary shall not transfer any of the funds appropriated under this heading for capital improvements to Amtrak: Provided further, That in the event Amtrak reform legislation required by section 977(f) of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 is enacted into law after the distribution of some or all of the funds appropriated under this account for capital improvements are transferred by the Secretary to Amtrak, then the Secretary of the Treasury shall reduce the amount refunded to Amtrak under section 977 of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 by an amount equal to the funds distributed to Amtrak under this heading for capital improvements and the portion of this appropriation made available for capital improvements shall not be available for obligation and no additional funds appropriated under this heading shall be transferred by the Secretary to Amtrak for capital improvements: Provided further, That none of the funds provided for capital improvements may be transferred to operating losses to pay for debt service interest unless specifically authorized by law after the date of enactment of this Act: Provided further, That the incurring of any obligation or commitment by the Corporation for the purchase of capital improvements with rands appropriated herein which is prohibited by this Act shall be deemed a violation of 31 U.S.C. 1341: Provided further, That funding under this heading for capital improvements shall not be made available before July 111 STAT. 14361, 1998: Provided further, That none of the funds herein appropriated shall be used for lease or purchase of passenger motor vehicles or for the hire of vehicle operators for any officer or employee, other than the president of the Corporation, excluding the lease of passenger motor vehicles for those officers or employees while in official travel status.