PRINTER'S NO. 1304
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
226
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY MATZIE, DeLUCA, D. COSTA, READSHAW, DONATUCCI,
BRIGGS, SCHLEGEL CULVER, THOMAS, RYAN, IRVIN, McNEILL,
DRISCOLL, BIZZARRO, W. KELLER, HARKINS, WATSON, SCHLOSSBERG,
MARSHALL, DAVIS, MILLARD, WARD, FREEMAN, LONGIETTI, NEILSON,
STAATS, HILL-EVANS, SCHWEYER, CALTAGIRONE, A. HARRIS, RAPP,
SANKEY AND GILLEN, APRIL 10, 2017
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
APRIL 10, 2017
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, Freight rail has been instrumental in bringing
American goods to market nationally and internationally since
1830; 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
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WHEREAS, The first railroad to circumvent the Allegheny
Mountains, the Allegheny Portage Railroad, was also completed by
the Commonwealth in 1834 as part of the Main Line of Public
Works system; and
WHEREAS, The United States has approximately 570 freight
railroads, including nearly 140,000 miles of track; and
WHEREAS, Freight rail carries approximately 40 tons of
freight for each person in the United States each year; 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 three 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 1 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, In 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency
finalized a program to reduce emissions from locomotive engines
to cut particulate emissions by up to 90% and nitrogen oxide
emissions by up to 80%; and
WHEREAS, In 2015, United States freight railroads consumed
712 million fewer gallons of fuel and emitted 8 million fewer
tons of carbon dioxide than they would have if their fuel
efficiency had remained constant since 2000; and
WHEREAS, From 2000 through 2015, United States freight
railroads consumed 6.9 billion fewer gallons of fuel and emitted
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75 million fewer tons of carbon dioxide than they would have if
their fuel efficiency had not improved; and
WHEREAS, Moving freight by railroad instead of truck reduces
greenhouse gas emissions by 75%; and
WHEREAS, The freight rail industry has created well-paying
jobs with good benefits, employing approximately 170,000 people
nationwide; and
WHEREAS, More than 13,000 Pennsylvanians are employed by
railroads; and
WHEREAS, Freight rail plays a vital role in United States
growth, job creation and economic recovery; and
WHEREAS, Freight rail growth will continue to generate jobs
and be a reliable means of transporting goods; and
WHEREAS, The public and private sectors and organized labor
have contributed significantly toward the creation of the
freight rail infrastructure we use today; and
WHEREAS, Freight rail companies have reinvested $600 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 $28
billion in 2014 and $30 billion in 2015, to create a freight
network that is second to none; 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 of the freight rail industry and its employees 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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