Happening Now
2023 Legislative Resources
RAILNATION:DC - SPRING 2023
Rail Passengers Association's annual one-page ask for Amtrak and passenger rail. Provides an overview of the programmatic funding requests and specific policies and legislation that Rail Passengers is advocating for in the coming year.
LEGISLATIVE GRANT REQUEST FOR FY2024
Congressional Sign-On Letters:
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House Bipartisan Letter of Support for FY24 Amtrak and Passenger Rail Programs
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Bicameral Bipartisan Letter in Support of FY24 High-Speed Rail Appropriations
RAIL PASSENGER BILL OF RIGHTS
In response to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill’s historic investment in passenger trains, Rail Passengers Association believes the time is now to establish what we expect the U.S. network to deliver to the people who use it. With this surge in public investment, many of the old excuses for service failures will no longer be sufficient to excuse rail carriers. The time is now to start thinking about the benchmarks for acceptable levels of service, and the mechanisms for ensuring that rail carriers are accountable to passengers.
Rail Passengers has assembled a “Rail Passenger Bill of Rights,” drawing from prior legislative proposals, existing regulation of the aviation industry, and international models for oversight of passenger rail carriers.
2023 Rail Passenger Bill of Rights
INFORMATIONAL ONE-PAGERS
Passenger rail fact sheets, updated through 2023, produced by the Association’s professional staff.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Benefits: Increased infrastructure investment provided in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—in combination with annual appropriations approved by Congress—is already resulting in tangible improvements to the U.S. rail network and national rail fleet.
Economic Benefits: A Connected America is not only good for passengers but good for America’s cities and towns, an economic engine in the communities it serves.
National Network & Rural Mobility: Amtrak’s National Network forms the foundation of passenger rail service in the U.S., bringing economically viable mobility to rural areas and small towns.
Environmental Benefits: Modern passenger rail can carry large numbers of people further, faster, and more efficiently than ever before.
High-Speed Rail: High-Speed Rail is an efficient mode of transportation that can move a large number of people quickly along densely developed corridors.
State for Passenger Rail 2023 Project Pipeline
View a comprehensive of passenger rail projects taking place across the U.S. Assembled the by the States for Passenger Rail Coalition.
"On behalf of Amtrak’s onboard service staff, I want to thank the Rail Passengers Association for honoring their hard work with this award. The past couple years have indeed been difficult for Amtrak onboard service staff – coping with furloughs and job insecurity, adapting to changing protocols and services, not to mention the unfortunate events such as a tragic derailment and a fatal shooting. Nevertheless, our dedicated members at Amtrak have handled these hurdles with the care, attention and diligence for which they’re known. We thank Rail Passengers for their acknowledgement of our members’ hard work and, as always, look forward to seeing you on the rails."
Arthur Maratea, TCU/IAM National President
December 21, 2021, on the Association awarding its 2021 Golden Spike Award to the Frontline Amtrak Employees.