NARP Issues Statement of Support for Caltrain Funding

For Immediate Release (#17-09)

Contact: Xenophon Strategies – (202) 289-4001

Washington, D.C. - National Association of Railroad Passengers President and CEO Jim Mathews issued the following statement of support in response to the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) decision to move forward with a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA), federal investment for Caltrain’s Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project (PCEP).

“On behalf of the the 65,000 train commuters who depend on the Peninsula Corridor every day, we applaud Secretary Chao’s decision to move forward with this critical project,” said Mathews. “This service provides a much-needed alternative to the heavily congested U.S. 101 freeway, and modernizing the current diesel-based service is a cost-effective way to deliver more efficient, faster, and more frequent rail service to the region. This is an example of good policy winning out over politics, and it wouldn’t have happened without the hard work of California’s congressional delegation—particularly Senator Dianne Feinstein and Congresswoman Jackie Speier—and Governor Jerry Brown’s leadership."

“This investment won’t just help Bay Area commuters—it’ll create jobs and strengthen domestic manufacturing all across the U.S.” said Mathews. “Americans are ready to get to work rebuilding our infrastructure, and it’s too important to let politics get in the way of good projects.”

The project is estimated to create more than 9,600 total direct and indirect jobs. The program has also been the driving force for the construction of a new railcar assembly plant in Salt Lake City, which will generate sustainable, family-wage jobs for 550 employees.