Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 108 Part 2.djvu/208

 108 STAT. 924 PUBLIC LAW 103-272—JULY 5, 1994 impedes Amtrak from achieving high-speed intercity rail passenger transportation; and (2) consult with that State or local government— (A) to evaluate alternatives to the speed restriction, considering the local safety hazard that is the basis for the restriction; and (B) to consider modifying or eliminating the restriction to allow safe operation at higher speeds. (c) HIGH-SPEED RAIL TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT.—On reasonable request by a State, political subdivision of a State, regional partnership, private sector representative, or other qualified person, Amtrak shall consult and cooperate to the extent feasible with that person to assist the efforts of that person to achieve high-speed rail transportation through equipment upgrades, gradecrossing safety improvements, and incremental infrastructure improvements on existing rail facilities that Amtrak uses (except the Northeast Corridor facilities). Not later than September 30, 1993, Amtrak 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 report on its efforts under this subsection. (d) ROUTES CONNECTING CORRIDORS. — Amtrak shall begin or improve appropriate rail passenger transportation on a route between corridors that Amtrak decides is justified because it will increase ridership on trains of Amtrak on the route and in the connecting corridors. § 24703. Route and service criteria (a) ROUTE DISCONTINUANCES AND ADDITIONS. — Except as provided in this part, route discontinuances and route additions shall comply with the route and service criteria. (b) CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW OF CRITERIA AMENDMENTS. — (1) Amtrak shall submit to Congress a draft of an amendment to the route and service criteria when Amtrak decides an amendment is appropriate. The amendment is effective at the end of the first period of 120 calendar days of continuous session of Congress after it is submitted unless there is enacted into law during the period a joint resolution stating Congress does not approve the amendment. (2) In this subsection— (A) a continuous session of Congress is broken only by an adjournment sine die; and (B) the 120-day period does not include days on which either House is not in session because of adjournment of more than 3 days to a day certain. (c) NONAPPLICATION. —The route and service criteria do not apply to— (1) increasing or, because of construction schedules or other temporary disruptive facts or seasonal fluctuations in ridership, decreasing the number of trains on an existing route or a part of an existing route or on a route on which additional trains are being tested; (2) carrying out the recommendations developed under section 4 of the Amtrak Improvement Act of 1978; (3) rerouting transportation between major population centers on an existing route; or (4)(A) modifying transportation operations under section 24707(a) of this title; and

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