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The National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) today is celebrating its 40th anniversary. And what better way to mark the occasion than to introduce a plan for improving the intercity passenger-rail network during the next 40 years?

The association has unveiled a proposal to expand and modernize the country’s passenger-rail system based on a “grid and gateway” network — gateways being major terminals served by higher-frequency, higher-speed services and the grid being an expanded national passenger-rail network connecting all major metropolitan areas.

NARP is calling on Congress to develop a public policy that incorporates existing services, rail lines and rights of way, as well as current corridor proposals from states, municipalities and freight railroads into a comprehensive national network. The association also proposes the public policy offer ways to upgrade bottlenecks and capacity-constrained corridors; and support and enable future high-speed rail service in the most heavily traveled corridors.

“Modernizing our rail network through a public-private partnership in which the federal government takes the lead is one of the most effective things we can do today to ensure our quality of life tomorrow,” said NARP President George Chilson in a prepared statement.

For more information on NARP’s proposal and a map of the proposed network, visit www.narprail.org.