§24322 Rolling Stock Purchases

Summary

Before Amtrak signs any contract worth more than $100,000,000 for train cars or locomotives, it must send a business case analysis to the Secretary of Transportation and to four Congressional committees: the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee; the Senate Appropriations Committee; the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; and the House Appropriations Committee. The analysis must show a lifecycle cost-versus-benefit comparison (including effects on revenue, efficiency, and reliability), list total payments by fiscal year, name the funding sources and amounts (Federal, State, Amtrak profits, loans or loan guarantees, or other funds), say whether any payment will raise Amtrak’s funding request in its annual report under section 24315(b), and explain how the purchase would change if future funding is not available. Amtrak does not have to share a vendor’s confidential pricing before a contract is signed, and it may still enter the contract after sending the analysis.