Amtrak may soon be empowered to sue freight railroads for obstruction, as U.S. legislators put forward a new piece of legislation to bolster passenger rights and cut delays on a nationwide basis across the rail system.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Amtrak schedule changes disrupt Michigan routes in September
Photo: Amtrak

Amtrak’s and legislators’ drive for responsibility

Reps. Chris Deluzio, Brendan Boyle, and LaMonica McIver put forward the Rail Passenger Fairness Act (H.R.5570) as a response to habitual freight interference. According to them, the 1973 statute that granted rights-of-way for passenger trains was not enforced successfully.

Don’t miss…Talgo secures growth with contracts, financing, and strong backlog

Amtrak had more than 900,000 minutes of delay in 2023 that can be directly attributed to freight traffic. Those interruptions undermine customer confidence and put revenue at risk, so Congress thinks tougher enforcement can help rebuild reliability in the nation’s rail service.

It has the backing of unions and customers

The statute has received approval from big rail unions as well as commuter activists. The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, the Transportation Communications Union, as well as the Rail Passengers Association supported the proposal.

Representative McIver reaffirmed the need for safeguarding passengers by stating: “Rail passengers deserve on-time arrivals and no delays due to illegal trespassing. That’s common sense.”

She further said: “This legislation is about ensuring that the system operates as designed and that large corporations can’t continue to abuse by their means that cause harm to individuals.”

Commentators observe that granting power to Amtrak to act in court directly might put power back in the balance between freight carriers and passenger services. Since on-time running stays very central, the reform might make long-term rail competition a determining influence.

Source: www.progressiverailroading.com

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed:

Don’t miss…Tender for Northern Railway Crossing to Boost Trade

What is this new Amtrak bill?

The Rail Passenger Fairness Act would make it so that Amtrak can sue the freight railroads for delays due to freight train interference.

How many delays was Amtrak subjected to by freight train interference?

In 2023, we saw Amtrak clock more than 900,000 minutes of delays attributed to foreign train interference, illuminating the extent of the issue.

Whose legislation supports the Amtrak?

The big rail unions and passenger bodies support the motion, such as the Transport Communications Union and the Rail Passengers Association.