William C. Flook, The Examiner
2007-08-03 14:00:00.0
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WASHINGTON -

Three Virginia congressmen and the state’s governor met with federal transportation officials on Capitol Hill on Thursday as part of a late-stage effort to salvage Dulles Rail, a meeting that comes amid growing doubts about the project’s ability to move forward.

The first phase of the planned 23-mile rail line now is “probably on a more solid track,” Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va., said after the hours-long discussion that dealt with the cost and timeline problems that have plagued the project, among other issues.

“And we think that some of the concerns that the Federal Transit Administration has may have been addressed,” he said.

He did not elaborate on which of the FTA’s qualms with Dulles Rail could have been allayed. An FTA spokesman could not be reached after the meeting for comment.

The gathering brought together Northern Virginia’s congressional delegation — Moran and Republican Reps. Frank Wolf and Tom Davis — FTA Administrator James Simpson and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar, D-Minn., along with other officials or their representatives. Sources say Oberstar organized the talks.

The FTA is at the tail-end of a months-long review process that will determine whether the agency approves $900 million in federal funds crucial for the rail’s first phase. In question is whether the program meets required federal cost-benefit targets.

That is, whether the cost of the initial phase — estimated to be at least $2.6 billion — is too high for the number of riders the line will serve.

The meeting was convened, Kaine spokesman Kevin Hall said, “because the Rail-to-Dulles project is entering a critical phase where we’re working with the FTA to get final approvals and wanted to show the bipartisan support of the state and the region’s elected leaders to keep the project moving forward.”

Spokesmen for Moran and Davis said no major change or agreement emerged from the meeting, though Moran’s words point to some sort of reassurance from the federal government that the project is still viable.

A scathing audit released last week by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s inspector general had cast doubt on the project’s chances, suggesting the price tag may be too high to pass the federal review.

The project hit another snag Wednesday, when a contractual cost escalation went into effect, which could raise the price as much as $6 million a month until the FTA

approves it for the final design phase.

wflook@dcexaminer.com