Rail Passengers Association Legislative Resources for 2025

Rail Passengers Association Fiscal Year 2026 Legislative Grant Request

Rail Passengers Association's annual legislative grant request for Amtrak and passenger rail, providing an overview of the programmatic funding requests and specific policies and legislation that Rail Passengers is advocating for in the coming year.

Rail Passengers remains committed to working with Congress to ensure there is meaningful oversight on these newly expanded passenger rail programs and on Amtrak operations. There have been challenges in efficiently ramping up capital investment programs—for the Federal Railroad Administration, for Amtrak, and for States. We believe strong Congressional oversight can help ensure that these rail projects move as quickly as the law allows through the planning, review, and design phase.

Rail Passengers Association Fiscal Year 2026 Legislative Grant Request

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Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Already Advancing Critical Projects

Increased infrastructure investment provided in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)—in combination with annual appropriations approved by Congress—is already resulting in tangible improvements to the U.S. rail network and national rail fleet. The IIJA has already invested $53 billion across 594 projects that will improve rail safety and expand passenger rail travel in 48 states.

Rail Passengers has assembled a list of select passenger rail projects and corridors that are already seeing work funded by IIJA rail programs.

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Rail Passengers Association Surface Transportation Reauthorization Blueprint

As Congress prepares to develop legislation that will succeed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Rail Passengers Association has assembled a list of programs, policy reforms, funding proposals that we believe will speed project delivery, support State- and private sector-led corridor develeopment, and strengthen Amtrak's network nationwide.

Click through for Rail Passengers' "Blueprint for Modern Passenger Rail in America" [Last updated: March, 16, 2025]

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Privatization and Profitability in Passenger Rail

Responding to common myths and misconceptions about subsidies and privatization across the U.S. transportation system.

FAQ: Privatization and Profitability in Passenger Rail

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Rail Passengers Bill of Rights

In response to the Infrastructure Investment in Jobs Act’s historic investment in passenger trains, Rail Passengers Association believes the time is now to establish what we expect the U.S. network to deliver to the people who use it. With this surge in public investment, many of the old excuses for service failures will no longer be sufficient to excuse rail carriers. The time is now to start thinking about the benchmarks for acceptable levels of service, and the mechanisms for ensuring that rail carriers are accountable to passengers.

Rail Passengers has assembled a “Rail Passenger Bill of Rights,” drawing from prior legislative proposals, existing regulation of the aviation industry, and international models for oversight of passenger rail carriers.

2025 Rail Passenger Bill of Rights

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2024 Issue One-Pagers

Economic Benefits: A Connected America is not only good for passengers but good for America’s cities and towns, an economic engine in the communities it serves.

National Network & Rural Mobility: Amtrak’s National Network forms the foundation of passenger rail service in the U.S., bringing economically viable mobility to rural areas and small towns.

Environmental Benefits: Modern passenger rail can carry large numbers of people further, faster, and more efficiently than ever before.