1876                                       JOINT RESOLUTIONS

No. 45
(Senate Joint Resolution 60)

Senate Joint Resolution expressing the [[disapproval]] opposition of the
[[Senate]] General Assembly of Maryland with respect to the proposed
reduction in service by the Penn Central Railroad.

WHEREAS, The Penn Central Railroad currently operates 456 miles of track
and service within the State of Maryland, constituting 42% of all major railroads
within the State;

WHEREAS, Penn Central is seeking to end operations on 150 miles of its
Maryland tracks, composing nearly one third of all its service within the State;

WHEREAS, Lines proposed to be closed include 110 miles located on the
Eastern Shore, including vital economic rail links such as:

(1)  The Denton-Queenstown spur (22.1 miles);

(2)  Chestertown-Centreville-Massey link (49.9 miles);

(3)  The Hurlock-Preston spur (5.9 miles) and other lines at Crisfield-Kings
Creek, Ocean City-Berlin, [[Salisbury-Pittsville,]] and Colora;

WHEREAS, The closing of these Penn Central tracks would be a serious blow
to the economic well-being of the area and hundreds of its citizens and businesses,
and an impairment of the future growth of the Shore; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the General Assembly of Maryland hereby states its
[[strong disapproval of]] opposition to these proposed reductions in Penn Central
service and directs that its displeasure be communicated to the officials of the
railroad and the U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Economic Development of the State of
Maryland, and all other appropriate agencies of the State are hereby directed [[to
do all in their power to prevent the proposed Penn Central closings, and to
cooperate in a concerted campaign to forestall any curtailment of rail service to
the areas named]] to search out methods of saving the rail service in the areas
named and to cooperate with Congress and federal agencies in joint, efforts to
preserve such rail service; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of Economic Development shall render a
status report to all members of the General Assembly from the areas affected by
the proposed closings; said report to show in detail the actions taken by the State
of Maryland and its agencies [[in opposition to the rail closings]] and others to
preserve the rail service; said report to be submitted no later than July 1, 1973;
and, be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Secretary of
Economic Development and all other appropriate State officials and the United
States Interstate Commerce Commission by the Secretary of the Senate and the
Clerk of the House of Delegates.

Approved May 21, 1973.