By Ron Thaniel
October 4, 2010

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced on September 28 findings of a new report, Moving Forward: A Progress Report, that updates the U.S. Department of Transportation's efforts to develop a first-ever comprehensive National Rail Plan (NRP).

“America's economic vitality has been driven by investments in transportation,” said LaHood. “Giving rail a greater role in our national transportation system will help us meet the 21st century challenges of population growth, increasing energy costs, reducing carbon emissions, and ensuring the nation remains competitive in the global economy.”

The progress report builds upon the Preliminary National Rail Plan mandated by the Passenger Rail Improvement and Investment Act of 2008 (PRIIA). It outlines the numerous factors, past, present and future that make a compelling case for improving rail infrastructure. Key factors are:

• Current demographic analyses and forecasts anticipate continued population growth, especially in urban areas.

• Coupled with corresponding increases in freight shipments, such growth will place additional burdens on transportation systems that are already working at or beyond capacity.

• The resulting traffic congestion translates into lost productivity, not only harming commerce, but degrading quality of life for citizens.

Since rail is one of the safest and most fuel-efficient modes of transportation, the progress report states that it is well positioned to make a significant contribution to accommodating these key factors. The Progress Report is available online at http://www.fra.dot.gov/.