RailNation:DC Draws Passengers from Across the U.S.

The Rail Passengers Association wrapped up two weeks of Congressional advocacy as part of its annual Washington, D.C. advocacy summit. Our advocacy conference, which included volunteer leadership from across the nation, featured frank conversations about the future of Amtrak and intercity passenger rail service in the wake of the Trump Administration’s ouster of Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner.

We’re asking our members to join us in demanding that Congress continues the recapitalization work initiated by the infrastructure bill.

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Rail Passengers’ 2025 Legislative Ask

Congressional Oversight: 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. It is imperative that these funds are used to support programs in the manner laid out by Congress, and that State partners who have allocated local sources of funding to secure grant agreements are able to move forward with construction on these projects. Delays in the obligation of funds for previously approved grants will cost local taxpayers through extended project construction timelines and increased costs for labor and materials. We believe strong Congressional oversight can help ensure that these rail projects move as quickly as the law allows through planning, review, design, and construction.

Support Operations and Administrative Capacity: IIJA funding can only be used for certain purposes and cannot replace Amtrak's annual appropriations. Providing sufficient FY26 funding is necessary to allow Amtrak to meet record levels of demand for rail service (find out more about ridership trends at RailPassengers.org/Ridership); perform annual maintenance and carry out core functions to avoid long-term deterioration of assets and services; and make targeted, high-priority investments for future expansion. Rail Passengers is asking Congress to fully fund rail programs at the authorized levels established by the IIJA.

Rail Passengers supports the Amtrak Transparency and Accountability for Passengers and Taxpayers Act (H.R.188) which will improve Amtrak increase transparency for taxpayers by requiring Amtrak’s Board of Directors to comply with the Government in the Sunshine Act, with key exceptions for contract negotiations, collective bargaining agreements, and matters involving the employment status of individual employees.

Blueprint for Success in the Surface Transportation Reauthorization

Rail Passengers has outlined several proposals to build on the success of the rail programs established over the past surface transportation reauthorization cycles. However, the status quo simply isn’t good enough; the next reauthorization must include meaningful reforms to the environmental review and service development process which has led to lengthy delays and cost overruns. See RailPassengers.org/Blueprint for a full summary of our reauthorization priorities.

Sec. 1 - Reauthorize Core Rail Programs: Reauthorize the Amtrak National Network and Northeast Corridor Operations, Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program, Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program, Corridor Identification (CID) Program, Restoration and Enhancement (R&E) Grant Program, Next-Generation Equipment Committee (NGEC), Northeast Corridor Commission (NECC), and the State-Amtrak Intercity Passenger Rail Committee (SAIPRC) at current levels. Our Association also supports the establishment of Formula Distribution of Rail Funds to States to increase State-level capacity and lower costs.

Sec. 2 - Implementing the Federal Railroad Administration’s Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study: If fully realized, the FRA’s Long-Distance Service Study (LDSS) represents a long-term infrastructure strategy that will extend the U.S. rail network to 39 million people that don’t currently have access to passenger rail, including 7 million people in rural communities. The LDSS represents a multi-decade effort similar to the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, and Congress should establish a Long-Distance Service Working Group capable of implementing this vision, building on the expertise and working relationships established during this study.

Sec. 3 Planning, Construction, and Procurement Policy Reforms: Congress should introduce a “shot clock” for Environmental Impact Statements and Environmental Assessments for intercity passenger rail projects. We also support the creation of a National Equipment Pool, federal standardization of project elements, mandating formalized cost transparency, and authorizing advance acquisition of railroad right-of-way.

Making Our Voice Heard!

Below is just a very small sample of the photos taken over the two weeks of regional advocacy workshops that took place in our DC HQ and on Capitol Hill.

Attendees heard from representatives from Amtrak, Alstom, OneRail, Big Sky Passenger Rail, and, of course, our staff! A special thank you to our sponsor and presenter Icomera.