Rail Safety Week Observed Across North America
September 20-26 was Rail Safety Week across North America, with a goal of empowering the public to make safe decisions around trains and tracks and reduce railroad crossing and pedestrian trespass incidents. Federal statistics show 9 out of 10 rail-related fatalities in the United States happen because of vehicle-train collisions or illegal track trespassing. This annual week-long event, spearheaded by rail safety education nonprofit Operation Lifesaver, Inc. along with Operation Lifesaver Canada and the Mexican Association of Railroads, is a collaborative effort among rail safety partners across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. In the U.S., Rail Safety Week activities included social media messaging, in-person safety blitzes, state and local law enforcement efforts and other community events and resulted in more than 2,100 news stories.
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Latest Congressional Action on Rail Spending
 On September 15, the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee approved a $57 billion spending package, along party-line vote, that will be included in the House’s larger $3.5 trillion omnibus budget reconciliation package (S. Con. Res. 14, the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2022). As for rail-related funding, the T&I Committee bill included:
- $9.9 billion through FY2026 for a broad-based transit program linked to housing, but ultimately could encompass a broad range of transit-related activities.
- $10 billion for High Speed Rail Assistance.
- $150 million available through FY2026 for Credit Risk Premium assistance to eligible entities through the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing program.
- $2.5 billion through FY2027 for port infrastructure and supply chain resilience, with rail and intermodal facilities eligible.
Confused about the reconciliation process and why it matters? This Brookings article, ‘What is Reconciliation in Congress’, sheds some light on how it all works. Read a more in-depth summary of the rail provisions included in the House T&I Reconciliation bill by clicking the link below.
HOUSE T&I RECONCILIATION PROVISIONS
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Things We Are Watching
 Pelosi Sets Thursday Vote on Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. The House will vote Thursday on the Senate-passed bipartisan infrastructure bill, pushing back an originally planned vote for Monday that Democratic moderates had demanded as part of a deal with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Read More
Federal Railroad Administrator Nominee Addresses Senate Committee. Amit Bose, Deputy Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, took on questions about automated track inspection, crew sizes, hazardous materials transportation, and port congestion, among other topics, during a Sept. 22 hearing on his nomination by President Biden to be the next Federal Railroad Administrator. Read More
Passenger Rail Projects Move Forward. Virginia DOT, CSX and Amtrak worked together to expand rail service in Virginia - the first new train service leaving from downtown Richmond started this week. Amtrak advances the William H. Gray III 30th Street Station redevelopment project in Philadelphia, PA, Check out these new passenger rail projects. Read More and Read More
Biden Executive Order Includes Rail Competition. Rail industry officials offered mixed reactions to President Joe Biden’s July 9 executive order on economic competition. Among many provisions, the order calls on the Surface Transportation Board to require freight railroads to provide rights of way to passenger rail and to strengthen their obligations to treat freight companies fairly. Read More
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Recent Webinars, Podcasts and Reports
Volpe’s Review of Suicide Intervention Training Programs
Despite efforts to implement effective suicide prevention strategies, deaths from suicide have steadily accounted for about one-third of all fatalities that occur on the U.S. rail system. A lack of research on the effectiveness of preventative strategies may be contributing to uncertainty among rail carriers when considering implementing countermeasures. This new report, issued by the Department of Transportation Volpe National Transportation Systems Center team, reviews ongoing programs in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States.
The bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill has been passed -- infrastructure experts talk about what’s next.
On August 10, Patriot Rail’s CEO (and former CEO of California’s Metrolink) John Fenton spoke with WGN Chicago radio about the impacts of the bipartisan infrastructure bill for rail, particularly in the Chicago area. Listen to the interview in the link above.
FY21 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grants NOFO Webinar
On August 27, the FRA announced a notice of funding opportunity for nearly $362 million through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant Program. This webinar explains the CRISI program and the application process. Awards are expected to be announced in Spring 2022.
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About Us
OneRail is a diverse group of rail stakeholders who have come together to educate America about the benefits of a strong freight and passenger rail system.
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