WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) has introduced a bill that would provide $200 billion in funding over five years for high speed rail and electrification of major rail corridors.
The “All Aboard Act” also seeks to expand existing passenger rail service and electrify major rail yards. U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) has introduced accompanying legislation in the House of Representatives.
The bill would provide $150 billion in funding over the five-year period through three existing grant programs — $80 billion for the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail, $30 billion to the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) program, and $10 billion for the Railroad Crossing Elimination program — as well as $10 billion for Amtrak. It would also create a $50 billioin Green Railway Fund to electrify the most heavily trafficked freight and passenger corridors, major rail yars, and support electric high-performance passenger rail projects.
It would also create a $3.5 billion rail formula program for state rail planning, maintenance, operations, and capital investment — comparable to formula funding that exists for highways. Currently, federal rail funding is only through competitive grants. Also included: $500 million under the Clean Air Act to address pollution from rail yards, and $300 million to establish freight and passenger rail training centers.
“An accessible, reliable, and electrified rail network across our nation would put us on a high-speed track to fend off the worst effects of the climate crisis,” Markey said in a press release. “The All Aboard Act makes critical investments in every link of our rail network – from investing in our workers to expanding passenger rail to electrifying railyards across the country. This bill would give Americans the train service they are clamoring for, help save our planet, and do it all with union labor.”
The bill is supported by more than 20 environmental, labor, and transportation groups, ranging from the Sierra Club to the Transportation and Trades Division of the AFL-CIO to the Rail Passengers Association. A complete list of those groups is available in the press release linked above.
Full text of the bill is available here; a section-by-section summary is here.
“The American people ought to have a rail system that is safe, gets folks quickly where they want to go, and keeps the economy moving—all while slashing road traffic,” Deluzio said. “I am proud to join with Senator Markey to introduce the All Aboard Act to make transformational investments in the United States rail network like electrification. This bill will make American passenger and freight rail a lot safer and cleaner and will invest in the rail workers who make it all happen.”
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