DELAWARE STATE SENATE

152nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 154

RECOGNIZING MAY 11, 2024, AS "NATIONAL TRAIN DAY” IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

WHEREAS, National Train Day has been annually observed on the Saturday closest to May 10 ^th , to coincide with the date of the driving of the final, golden spike of the United States’ first transcontinental railroad in Promontory, Utah, in 1869; and

WHEREAS, the advent of rail transport approximately 200 years ago forever changed the world by allowing for the efficient and timely transportation of commuters and goods like never before; and

WHEREAS, rail networks continue to shape our daily lives with Amtrak transporting almost 23 million passengers to their destination in 2022, and the Association of American Railroads estimates that freight trains transport approximately 1.6 billion tons of raw materials and finished goods across the country; and

WHEREAS, the Delaware Railroad spanned across the entirety of the Delmarva peninsula providing mass transportation before the widespread adoption of the automobile, while the Junction & Breakwater Railroad connected the Delaware Railroad to the Atlantic coast; and

WHEREAS, Felton and Wyoming Railroad Stations are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the Felton Railroad Station was, in 1976 to celebrate the nation’s biennial, restored to reflect its historic past; and

WHEREAS, the Lewes Junction Railroad & Bridge Association, established in 2019, seeks to preserve, display, and interpret the railroad heritage of Lewes and Eastern Sussex County in an authentic and appealing setting for the general public; and

WHEREAS, the Wilmington & Western Railroad has become one of the East Coast’s premier heritage railroads, offering visitors an opportunity to experience Delaware’s railroad history; and

WHEREAS, rail transportation continues to shape the lives of Delawareans today, as both Amtrak and CSX provide essential commuter and freight services respectively; and

WHEREAS, the Acela Express, Amtrak’s flagship passenger train service along the Northeast Corridor connects Wilmington to Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston; and

WHEREAS, National Train Day seeks to celebrate the history of railway networks in the United States, promote the benefits of rail travel, and encourage Americans across the country to make use of the nation’s extensive rail networks.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the 152nd General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the House of Representatives concurring therein, hereby recognizes May 11, 2024, as “National Train Day” in the State of Delaware, and encourages all Delawareans are to celebrate the transformative effects of rail travel in the country, and to make use of the nation’s rail system.

SYNOPSIS

This resolution recognizes May 11, 2024, as "National Train Day".

Author: Senator Huxtable