Railroaders place to shoot the shit.

The transit executives called on lawmakers to provide federal funds for "significant capital investments," such as expanding rail systems, purchasing additional rail cars and upgrading power and maintenance facilities.

A subcommittee of the Senate Banking Committee held a hearing to assess how to better modernize U.S. rail systems and obtain financial resources to get the job done.

Transit executives from New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Atlanta testified before the subcommittee, along with Peter Rogoff, administrator of the Federal Transit Administration.

Beverly Scott, chief executive of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, urged Congress to double the size of FTA's rail modernization program over the next six years. More funds will assist with overhauling aged rail systems, while providing incentives for newer systems to maintain improvements, Scott said.

Subcommittee Chairman Robert Menendez, D-N.J., also called for increased federal funding for the rail program and urged committee members to consider a temporary funding program to address transit maintenance backlogs.

This hearing follows the June 22, Washington, D.C., train collision that killed nine people, prompting the National Transportation Safety Board to warn rail transit agencies nationwide to check automatic control systems and consider upgrades to prevent problems that may have played a role in a deadly train crash in Washington. The NTSB continues to investigate the crash.

Meanwhile, the nation's seven largest transit systems, including Chicago, New Jersey, Washington and New York City, have rail maintenance backlogs that have collectively reached $50 billion.

Scott said strong federal, state and local partnerships are vital to reducing the backlog and revamping rail systems. The federal government needs to adopt a "balanced approach" that equally provides financial resources for system expansions and preservation, she said. "It makes no sense to expand while the system is crumbling. At the same time we cannot afford to sit still," Scott said.

The FTA has suggested that Congress revise the current formula of funding apportionment that's allotted to rail systems. The FTA has said, "While intended to capture the differing needs of program recipients, the current allocation process tends to favor newer systems and commuter rail operators by covering a greater proportion of their capital reinvestment needs as compared to other systems."

FTA has also recommended that lawmakers create a temporary federal fund designed to eliminate the existing $50 billion transit maintenance backlog, among other rail support measures.

The transit executives, in testimony, also provided Congress with suggestions on how federal funds should match state funds, along with encouraging incentive- based rail investments throughout systems, among other recommendations.

Menendez had a few proposals for the FTA, which included suggesting that the federal agency "work with (state) agencies to more effectively use the resources they already have."

Menendez also said the FTA should "develop a program to provide technical assistance to help these agencies manage and maintain their assets."

(This item was distribued Aug. 5, 2009, by the Dow Jones Newswires.)