Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 122.djvu/4975

 12 2 STA T .495 2 PUBLIC LA W 11 0– 4 3 2 —O CT. 1 6, 200 8(e)AUTHORIZA TIO N O F A P PROPRIATION S.—Th e r e a rea ut h o r iz e d to b ea p propriated to the S e c retar y$5,0 00,000 f or fi s ca l year 2 0 1 0, to re m ai n a v ailable until e x pended, for g rants to Amtra k and States participating in the N ext G eneration C orridor Train Eq uipment P ool Committee established under this section for the purpose of designing, developing specifications for, and initiating the procure - ment of an initial order of 1 or more types of standardized next- generation corridor train equipment and establishing a j ointly- o w ned corporation to manage that equipment. SEC.306 . RAIL C O O P ERA T I V E RESEARC H PRO G RA M . (a) ESTA BL ISH ME NT AN D CONTENT.—Chapter 2 49 is amended by adding at the end the following

‘ §24910.Railco o per a t i v ere s earc h pro g ra m‘ ‘(a) I N GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish and carry out a rail cooperative research program. The program shall— ‘‘(1) address, among other matters, intercity rail passenger and freight rail services, including existing rail passenger and freight technologies and speeds, incrementally enhanced rail systems and infrastructure, and new high-speed wheel-on-rail systems ‘‘(2) address ways to expand the transportation of inter- national trade traffic by rail, enhance the efficiency of inter- modal interchange at ports and other intermodal terminals, and increase capacity and availability of rail service for seasonal freight needs; ‘‘( 3 ) consider research on the interconnectedness of com- muter rail, passenger rail, freight rail, and other rail networks; and ‘‘(4) give consideration to regional concerns regarding rail passenger and freight transportation, including meeting research needs common to designated high-speed corridors, long-distance rail services, and regional intercity rail corridors, projects, and entities. ‘‘(b) CONTENT.—The program to be carried out under this sec- tion shall include research designed— ‘‘(1) to identify the unique aspects and attributes of rail passenger and freight service; ‘‘(2) to develop more accurate models for evaluating the impact of rail passenger and freight service, including the effects on highway and airport and airway congestion, environ- mental quality, and energy consumption; ‘‘(3) to develop a better understanding of modal choice as it affects rail passenger and freight transportation, including development of better models to predict utilization; ‘‘(4) to recommend priorities for technology demonstration and development; ‘‘(5) to meet additional priorities as determined by the advisory board established under subsection (c), including any recommendations made by the National R esearch Council; ‘‘( 6 ) to explore improvements in management, financing, and institutional structures; ‘‘( 7 ) to address rail capacity constraints that affect pas- senger and freight rail service through a wide variety of options,

�