BUILD America 250 Act sets rail funding terms

The BUILD America 250 Act was formally introduced yesterday by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

It is the committee’s forthcoming five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill. The measure’s formal title is Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America’s 250th (H.R. 8870).

The 1,005-page measure lays out proposed investments for roads, bridges, transit, rail, and safety programs. Those safety programs cover highway and motor carrier safety. Committee officials said in a press release that the T&I committee is scheduled to mark up the bill tomorrow morning. That markup is the next stated committee step after the bill’s formal introduction.

BUILD America 250 Act rail funding

Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee Chairman Daniel Webster (R-Fla.) said the legislation would revise key transportation programs. “This bill streamlines and reforms key programs that will help improve the safety, efficiency, and long-term reliability of our freight- and passenger-rail systems,” he said. “It requires real accountability from Amtrak, strengthens oversight of America’s rail network and eliminates wasteful grant programs and project spending to ensure taxpayer dollars are invested responsibly.”

According to an analysis by the Rail Passengers Association, the bill would allocate $63.9 billion for rail programs over the five-year period. The total includes $31.1 billion for Amtrak and $1.5 billion for the Federal Railroad Administration. It also includes $9.1 billion for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program. In addition, it includes $3.7 billion for the Railroad Crossing Safety Improvements and Elimination program. The National Intercity Passenger Railroad Partnership program would receive $18.5 billion.

RPA officials said the rail funding would differ from the structure used in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. None of it would be guaranteed. Instead, the money would be subject to annual appropriations.

Amtrak and freight infrastructure concerns

Elaine Nessle, executive director of the Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors, said in a statement that the bill makes important progress in several areas. Still, she said it fails in its commitment to freight infrastructure investments.

RPA’s review of the Amtrak section said the committee appears to be trying to move the statute back toward profitability-adjacent language. Sean Jean-Gails, RPA vice president of government affairs and policy, said that reading becomes clearer alongside the absence of guaranteed rail funding. “In conjunction with the lack of guaranteed funding for rail, the message becomes clearer: Amtrak should operate in a way that allows it to operate with minimal … federal funding.”

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