New York state last month almost lost $450 million allocated for passenger rail improvements across the state.
But an effort in the U.S. House of Representatives to redirect the federal money elsewhere was defeated.
Still, the money won't be released, if it's still available, until the state Department of Transportation, CSX Corp. and Amtrak reach agreements on such issues as land and track leasing, dispatching trains and maintaining the right of way, service performance and other operating and management issues. The Federal Railroad Administration must then approve each agreement.
Time may be a factor. Officials say privately that they wouldn't be surprised if there's another effort in the House to remove funds from the high-speed rail program backed by the Obama administration.
"We need to make cuts to address the deficit, but we must not eat our seed corn," U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said after the earlier House vote. "I will make sure that New York gets every investment possible to build the rail infrastructure for the 21st century."
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