PRINTER'S NO. 1219
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
252
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY MATZIE, GIBBONS, MAHONEY, LONGIETTI, READSHAW,
KOTIK, HENNESSEY, FREEMAN, BAKER, BRIGGS, MURT, KINSEY, KIM,
THOMAS, COHEN, FARINA, SCHLOSSBERG, ROZZI, CALTAGIRONE,
PAYNE, WHEELAND, TALLMAN, MILLARD, SCHWEYER, PASHINSKI,
DONATUCCI, DAVIS, MUSTIO, McNEILL, BROWNLEE, DiGIROLAMO,
A. HARRIS, WATSON, MARSICO, W. KELLER, GILLEN, BENNINGHOFF
AND BRADFORD, APRIL 15, 2015
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
APRIL 15, 2015
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the contributions that the freight rail industry and
its employees have made to the national transportation
system.
WHEREAS, The United States has the most efficient and
productive freight railroad system in the world; and
WHEREAS, Freight rail has played a critical role in the
economic development of the United States, helping to build
cities and strengthen infrastructure throughout this great
nation; and
WHEREAS, One of America's earliest railroads was the
Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad, which was completed by the
Commonwealth in 1834 as part of the Main Line of Public Works
system; and
WHEREAS, The first railroad to circumvent the Allegheny
Mountains was the Allegheny Portage Railroad, which was also
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completed by the Commonwealth in 1834 as part of the Main Line
of Public Works system; and
WHEREAS, Freight rail has been instrumental in bringing
American goods to market nationally and internationally since
1830; and
WHEREAS, The United States freight rail network has over 570
railroad companies, includes 140,000 miles of track and carries
approximately 40 tons of freight for each person in the United
States each year; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania has more operating railroads than any
other state in the nation, with over 5,000 miles of track; and
WHEREAS, Forty percent of all intercity freight volume is
moved by freight rail, including the clothes we wear, the food
we eat, the coal we use for domestic energy and the automobiles
we drive; and
WHEREAS, Freight railroads have nearly doubled the amount of
cargo they have shipped over the past 3 decades with virtually
no increase in fuel consumption; and
WHEREAS, Freight rail is one of the most fuel-efficient modes
of transportation, able to move one ton of freight approximately
476 miles on 1 gallon of diesel fuel; and
WHEREAS, Freight railroads have increased fuel efficiency by
more than 100% since 1980; and
WHEREAS, From 1980 through 2013, United States freight
railroads consumed 69.8 billion fewer gallons of fuel and
emitted 781 million fewer tons of carbon dioxide than they would
have if their fuel efficiency had not improved; and
WHEREAS, The Environmental Protection Agency's new locomotive
emissions standards will cut particulate emissions by up to 90%
and nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 80%; and
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WHEREAS, The freight rail industry has created good-paying
jobs with good benefits, employing approximately 180,000 people
nationwide; and
WHEREAS, More than 13,000 Pennsylvanians are employed by
railroads; and
WHEREAS, Freight rail continues to play a vital role in the
United States growth, job creation and economic recovery; and
WHEREAS, Freight rail companies have reinvested $550 billion
in revenues toward equipment, maintenance and rail expansion
since 1980, which has supported employment and economic activity
throughout the United States; and
WHEREAS, America's freight railroads in recent years have
been reinvesting more than ever before, including more than $25
billion per year in both 2012 and 2013, to create a freight
network that is second to none; and
WHEREAS, Freight rail growth will continue to generate jobs
and produce a reliable means of transporting goods; and
WHEREAS, The seven Class I freight railroads have joined the
Environmental Protection Agency's "SmartWay Transport," which
works to improve fuel efficiency and reduce harmful greenhouse
gases; and
WHEREAS, Both the public and private sector and organized
labor have contributed significantly toward the creation of the
freight rail infrastructure we use today; and
WHEREAS, The freight rail industry has built one of the
world's most envied infrastructure networks; and
WHEREAS, A strong freight rail system is critical to the
economic and environmental well-being of the United States;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
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contributions the freight rail industry and its employees have
made to the national transportation system; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives support the
efforts of the freight rail industry and its employees to
continue improving safety as our Nation moves forward with
developing its infrastructure.
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