U.S. Representative; chairs the House Committee on Natural Resources and is Vice Chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall has represented the residents of West Virginia’s 3rd District since he was first elected to Congress in 1976.  He currently chairs the House Committee on Natural Resources and is vice chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, with more than 30 years of experience in transportation policy.  More than a decade ago, he helped establish the Rahall Transportation Institute, a consortium of colleges and universities in southern West Virginia housed at Marshall University.  RTI’s work focuses on transportation initiatives that can create jobs and improve communities across Appalachia.  Recently, Rahall received the Award for Lifetime Achievement in Transportation Research and Education from the Council of University Transportation Centers.  Before his election to Congress, Rahall served as a staff assistant to U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd and was a businessman.

Question:

You support Norfolk Southern’s Heartland Corridor initiative, a public-private partnership that will expand rail freight capacity and improve delivery time of intermodal goods moving between Virginia port terminals and consumer markets in the Midwest.  It is a model for the railroad’s Crescent Corridor project, which is designed to improve the flow of consumer goods between the U.S. Southwest and Northeast.  In your view, what are the primary public benefits of these rail infrastructure projects?

Answer:

The American transportation system, in which rail is becoming an increasingly vital piece, is one of our nation’s greatest assets. Our economic success in West Virginia and the nation begins with transportation investments that will produce more advantageous avenues for business and industry to keep and expand jobs and to help our country remain ahead of the competition in the 21st century.

I firmly believe that American economic recovery can begin with transportation and our investment in its repair and modernization. As a former businessman, I understand that capital investment is an essential ingredient to grow our economy and help generate and maintain the jobs that sustain our families and our communities. That means we must be willing to make investments in our infrastructure and to launch economic initiatives that will improve our overall strength and stability.

I think it is the proper role of the federal government to partner with states and cities and, where it makes sense, with private industry. By combining resources and working together, we can create jobs and economic opportunities. I know that federal investment pays off. A good example is the Rahall Transportation Institute at Marshall University – a $28 million federal investment. The institute marked a milestone recently with the university's first ever royalty check for a new safety lighting technology, a true return for the public good. Currently, RTI is partnering with the West Virginia Department of Transportation on several research projects to improve transportation infrastructure.

The institute has worked closely with Norfolk Southern on the Heartland Corridor, which I believe is a project of national significance. One of RTI’s first initiatives, in fact, was a small study to identify the economic benefits that could accrue to West Virginia if it had intermodal service. From that seed a multi-million dollar project blossomed that will expand freight capacity and bring a new state-of-the-art intermodal cargo facility to Prichard, W. Va. That facility will serve as a magnet for jobs and economic development.

Based on the public benefits identified in the RTI study, I helped win passage in 2005 of a transportation funding bill that included $95 million in federal authorizations for improvements to the Heartland Corridor. Included were funds to clear and raise the height of 28 rail tunnels and eliminate more than two dozen overhead obstructions. That work is scheduled to be completed later this year, clearing the way to transport double-stack intermodal containers from Virginia ports to the central Ohio valley and on to Chicago and markets to the west.

The cargo-transfer terminal in Prichard will give shippers in the Tri-State region of West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio multi-modal access to highway and rail. It will not only increase shipping and freight job opportunities, but give our industries access to modern, efficient freight container service, as well as access to international markets.

This transportation initiative serves as a model to show that when we come together and pool our minds, our experience, our muscle, and our money, West Virginians and Americans everywhere can take on and overcome age-old challenges. We can craft creative solutions that will help our states and the nation gain and hold a competitive edge for years to come.