§22910 Interstate Rail Compacts Grant Program

Summary

The Secretary of Transportation must set up a competitive grant program to give money to groups carrying out interstate rail compacts under section 410 of the Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act of 1997. Grants can pay for five types of costs: administration; system planning (including studying freight impacts and ridership); promoting intercity passenger rail; preparing federal grant applications; and coordinating operations. Each grant can be no more than $1,000,000 per year. The program can fund no more than 10 compacts in any fiscal year. Only projects where the intercity passenger rail service will be operated by Amtrak are eligible. Recipients must provide at least a 50% non‑Federal match of eligible costs. When choosing grants, the Secretary will look at factors such as other funding or participation from states, local governments, rail carriers, or private partners; efforts to spur economic development, especially in rural areas; plans to restore former Amtrak routes; serving underserved places; improving network coverage and connections; having regional rail or corridor plans and environmental reviews; and coordination with governments and other transport providers (like intercity buses or airlines). Within 3 years after the Passenger Rail Expansion and Rail Safety Act of 2021 is enacted, the Secretary must report to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure about program implementation, planning and coordination funded, recipients’ future plans, data on any new or restored services, and any legislative recommendations.