Ten railroad and transportation associations have joined together to create the OneRail Coalition. The organization, which turned to the lobbying firm Quinn Gillespie & Associates to get its message out, aims to advocate for the energy and environmental benefits of railroads.
Members include the American Public Transportation Association, Amtrak, American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association, Association of American Railroads, Building America's Future, National Association of Railroad Passengers, Natural Resources Defense Council, Railway Supply Institute, States for Passenger Rail Coalition and the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership.
OneRail's first order of business is to get more money for rail initiatives into the economic stimulus package. The bill now has $1.1 billion for Amtrak and intercity passenger rail projects -- compared to the $5 billion that House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar, D-Minn., recommended.
To catch up on the debate over the stimulus, check out National Journal's Transportation Experts Blog, moderated by National Journal's Lisa Caruso, where a panel is discussing ways to improve the transportation component of the bill.Take a look here.
-- Bara Vaida and Lisa Caruso
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