§25101 Corridor Identification and Development Program

Summary

The Transportation Secretary must set up a program within 180 days after the Passenger Rail Expansion and Rail Safety Act of 2021 to help plan and build intercity passenger rail corridors. The program must let eligible groups send proposals, set a way to review and pick proposals, and use readiness rules that include naming a service operator, sponsors, capital project sponsors, and talking with host railroads. It must include a process to make service development plans (using planning funds, including section 24911(k) and interstate rail compact grants under section 22210), create a pipeline of projects, give planning guidance for all corridors, and add any other useful features. Eligible groups can include Amtrak, States or groups of States, interstate compacts, regional rail authorities, regional planners, local governments, federally recognized Indian Tribes, and other public entities. To pick corridors, the Secretary will look at studies, ridership and money forecasts, environmental and congestion benefits, trip times, local economic and job effects, committed non‑Federal funding, rural and underserved community benefits, connections to other modes, whether the route is in a State rail plan, if it links at least 2 of the 100 most populated metropolitan areas, system integration, and operator support. For each chosen corridor, the Secretary will work with the proposer, States, and Amtrak to make or update a service development plan. The plan must describe the service (frequency, speeds, trip times), list needed capital projects and likely funding and applicants, give a schedule and phasing, name project sponsors, show safety compliance, list stations and equipment needs, and include a financial plan with annual revenues, ridership, capital costs before and to maintain service, operating costs, and funding sources. The Secretary must consult with Amtrak, State and local officials, labor groups, host railroads, and others. Plans must be reviewed at least every 5 years; if less than 40 percent of the work is done, the sponsor and Secretary must decide whether to update the plan. Within 1 year after the program starts, and by February 1 each year after, the Secretary must send a project pipeline to the named Congressional committees showing selected corridors, projects, proposed Federal funding, a 5‑year funding order and plan, and project readiness. “Intercity passenger rail corridor” means one of: a new route under 750 miles, an improved route under 750 miles, restored Amtrak service, or more frequent long‑distance service.