I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6003 
To reauthorize Amtrak, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 8, 2008 
Mr. OBERSTAR (for himself, Mr. MICA, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. 
SHUSTER, Mr. NADLER, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. SIRES, Mr. 
DEFAZIO, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. NORTON, Mrs. 
TAUSCHER, Mr. ARCURI, Mr. SPACE, Mr. SALAZAR, Mr. BRALEY of Iowa, 
Mr. FILNER, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. BOSWELL, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHN-
SON of Texas, Mr. TAYLOR, Mr. WALZ of Minnesota, Mr. CARNEY, Ms. 
HIRONO, Mr. HIGGINS, Mr. BISHOP of New York, Mr. CARNAHAN, Mr. 
LARSEN of Washington, Mr. MICHAUD, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. HALL of New 
York, Mr. COHEN, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. ALTMIRE, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. 
HOLDEN, and Mr. KAGEN) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To reauthorize Amtrak, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Passenger Rail Invest-
ment and Improvement Act of 2008’’. 
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SEC. 2. AMENDMENT OF TITLE 49, UNITED STATES CODE. 
Except as otherwise specifically provided, whenever in 
this Act an amendment is expressed in terms of an amend-
ment to a section or other provision of law, the reference 
shall be considered to be made to a section or other provi-
sion of title 49, United States Code. 
SEC. 3. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
The table of contents for this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title. 
Sec. 2. Amendment of title 49, United States Code. 
Sec. 3. Table of contents. 
TITLE I—AUTHORIZATIONS 
Sec. 101. Authorization for Amtrak capital and operating expenses and State 
capital grants. 
Sec. 102. Repayment of long-term debt and capital leases. 
Sec. 103. Other authorizations. 
Sec. 104. Tunnel project. 
TITLE II—AMTRAK REFORM AND OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS 
Sec. 201. National railroad passenger transportation system defined. 
Sec. 202. Amtrak Board of Directors. 
Sec. 203. Establishment of improved financial accounting system. 
Sec. 204. Development of 5-year financial plan. 
Sec. 205. Establishment of grant process. 
Sec. 206. State-supported routes. 
Sec. 207. Metrics and standards. 
Sec. 208. Northeast Corridor state-of-good-repair plan. 
Sec. 209. Northeast Corridor infrastructure and operations improvements. 
Sec. 210. Restructuring long-term debt and capital leases. 
Sec. 211. Study of compliance requirements at existing intercity rail stations. 
Sec. 212. Oversight of Amtrak’s compliance with accessibility requirements. 
Sec. 213. Access to Amtrak equipment and services. 
Sec. 214. General Amtrak provisions. 
Sec. 215. Amtrak management accountability. 
Sec. 216. Passenger rail study. 
Sec. 217. Congestion grants. 
Sec. 218. Plan for restoration of service. 
Sec. 219. Locomotive biofuel study. 
Sec. 220. Study of the use of biobased lubricants. 
Sec. 221. Applicability of Buy American Act. 
Sec. 222. Intercity passenger rail service performance. 
TITLE III—INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL POLICY 
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Sec. 301. Capital assistance for intercity passenger rail service; State rail plans. 
Sec. 302. State rail plans. 
Sec. 303. Next generation corridor train equipment pool. 
Sec. 304. Rail cooperative research program. 
Sec. 305. Passenger rail system comparison study. 
TITLE IV—COMMUTER RAIL TRANSIT ENHANCEMENT 
Sec. 401. Commuter rail transit enhancement. 
TITLE V—HIGH-SPEED RAIL 
Sec. 501. High-speed rail corridor program. 
Sec. 502. Additional high-speed projects. 
Sec. 503. Southeast high-speed rail study. 
Sec. 504. Grant conditions. 
TITLE I—AUTHORIZATIONS 
SEC. 101. AUTHORIZATION FOR AMTRAK CAPITAL AND OP-
ERATING EXPENSES AND STATE CAPITAL 
GRANTS. 
(a) OPERATING GRANTS.—There are authorized to 
be appropriated to the Secretary of Transportation for the 
use of Amtrak for operating costs the following amounts: 
(1) For fiscal year 2009, $525,000,000. 
(2) For fiscal year 2010, $600,000,000. 
(3) For fiscal year 2011, $614,000,000. 
(4) For fiscal year 2012, $638,000,000. 
(5) For fiscal year 2013, $654,000,000. 
(b) INSPECTOR GENERAL.—Out of the amounts au-
thorized under subsection (a), there are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Transportation for the 
Office of the Inspector General of Amtrak the following 
amounts: 
(1) For fiscal year 2009, $20,368,900. 
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(2) For fiscal year 2010, $22,586,000. 
(3) For fiscal year 2011, $24,337,000. 
(4) For fiscal year 2012, $26,236,000. 
(5) For fiscal year 2013, $28,287,000. 
(c) AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT COMPLI-
ANCE.—There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
Secretary of Transportation for the use of Amtrak for 
compliance with the requirements of the Americans With 
Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.) the fol-
lowing amounts: 
(1) For fiscal year 2009, $68,500,000. 
(2) For fiscal year 2010, $240,000,000. 
(3) For fiscal year 2011, $240,000,000. 
(4) For fiscal year 2012, $240,000,000. 
(5) For fiscal year 2013, $240,000,000. 
(d) CAPITAL GRANTS.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Transportation for the 
use of Amtrak for capital projects (as defined in subpara-
graphs (A) and (B) of section 24401(2) of title 49, United 
States Code) to bring the Northeast Corridor (as defined 
in section 24102(a)) to a state-of-good-repair, for capital 
expenses of the national rail passenger transportation sys-
tem, and for purposes of making capital grants under sec-
tion 24402 of that title to States, the following amounts: 
(1) For fiscal year 2009, $1,202,000,000. 
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(2) For fiscal year 2010, $1,321,000,000. 
(3) For fiscal year 2011, $1,321,000,000. 
(4) For fiscal year 2012, $1,427,000,000. 
(5) For fiscal year 2013, $1,427,000,000. 
(e) AMOUNTS
FOR STATE GRANTS.—Out of the 
amounts authorized under subsection (d), the following 
percentage shall be available each fiscal year for capital 
grants to States under section 24402 of title 49, United 
States Code, to be administered by the Secretary of Trans-
portation: 
(1) 41.60 percent for fiscal year 2009. 
(2) 38 percent for fiscal year 2010. 
(3) 38 percent for fiscal year 2011. 
(4) 35 percent for fiscal year 2012. 
(5) 35 percent for fiscal year 2013. 
(f) PROJECT MANAGEMENT OVERSIGHT.—The Sec-
retary may withhold up to 1⁄2 of 1 percent of amounts 
appropriated pursuant to subsection (d) for the costs of 
project management oversight of capital projects carried 
out by Amtrak. 
SEC. 102. REPAYMENT OF LONG-TERM DEBT AND CAPITAL 
LEASES. 
(a) AMTRAK
PRINCIPAL
AND
INTEREST
PAY-
MENTS.— 
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Corporation to the United States in existence of 
the date of enactment of this Act; 
(B) change the private nature of Amtrak’s 
or its successors’ liabilities; or 
(C) imply any Federal guarantee or com-
mitment to amortize Amtrak’s outstanding in-
debtedness. 
SEC. 103. OTHER AUTHORIZATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary of Transportation— 
(1) $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 
through 2013 to carry out the rail cooperative re-
search program under section 24910 of title 49, 
United States Code; and 
(2) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, to remain 
available until expended, for grants to Amtrak and 
States participating in the Next Generation Corridor 
Train Equipment Pool Committee established under 
section 303 of this Act for the purpose of designing, 
developing specifications for, and initiating the pro-
curement of an initial order of 1 or more types of 
standardized next-generation corridor train equip-
ment and establishing a jointly owned corporation to 
manage that equipment. 
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SEC. 104. TUNNEL PROJECT. 
(a) NEW
TUNNEL
ALIGNMENT
AND
ENVIRON-
MENTAL REVIEW.—Not later than September 30, 2013, 
the Federal Railroad Administration, working with Am-
trak, the City of Baltimore, State of Maryland, and rail 
operators described in subsection (b), shall— 
(1) approve a new rail tunnel alignment in Bal-
timore that will permit an increase in train speed 
and service reliability; and 
(2) ensure completion of the related environ-
mental review process. 
(b) AFFECTED RAIL OPERATORS.—Rail operators 
other than Amtrak may participate in activities described 
in subsection (a) to the extent that they can demonstrate 
the intention and ability to contribute to the construction 
of the new tunnel. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Federal Railroad 
Administration for carrying out this section $60,000,000 
for the period encompassing fiscal years 2009 through 
2013. 
TITLE II—AMTRAK REFORM AND 
OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS 
SEC. 201. NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER TRANSPOR-
TATION SYSTEM DEFINED. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 24102 is amended— 
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(1) by striking paragraph (2); 
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (3), (4), and 
(5) as paragraphs (2), (3), and (4), respectively; and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (4) as so re-
designated the following: 
‘‘(5) ‘national rail passenger transportation sys-
tem’ means— 
‘‘(A) the segment of the Northeast Cor-
ridor between Boston, Massachusetts and 
Washington, DC; 
‘‘(B) rail corridors that have been des-
ignated by the Secretary of Transportation as 
high-speed corridors (other than corridors de-
scribed in subparagraph (A)), but only after 
they have been improved to permit operation of 
high-speed service; 
‘‘(C) long distance routes of more than 
750 miles between endpoints operated by Am-
trak as of the date of enactment of the Pas-
senger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 
2008; and 
‘‘(D) short-distance corridors, or routes of 
not more than 750 miles between endpoints, op-
erated by— 
‘‘(i) Amtrak; or 
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‘‘(ii) another rail carrier that receives 
funds under chapter 244.’’. 
(b) AMTRAK ROUTES WITH STATE FUNDING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 247 is amended by 
inserting after section 24701 the following: 
‘‘§ 24702. Transportation requested by States, au-
thorities, and other persons 
‘‘(a) CONTRACTS
FOR TRANSPORTATION.—Amtrak 
may enter into a contract with a State, a regional or local 
authority, or another person for Amtrak to operate an 
intercity rail service or route not included in the national 
rail passenger transportation system upon such terms as 
the parties thereto may agree. 
‘‘(b) DISCONTINUANCE.—Upon termination of a con-
tract entered into under this section, or the cessation of 
financial support under such a contract by either party, 
Amtrak may discontinue such service or route, notwith-
standing any other provision of law.’’. 
(2) CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—The chapter 
analysis for chapter 247 is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 24701 the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘24702. Transportation requested by States, authorities, and other persons.’’. 
(c) AMTRAK TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE NON-HIGH- 
SPEED SERVICES.—Nothing in this Act is intended to pre-
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clude Amtrak from restoring, improving, or developing 
non-high-speed intercity passenger rail service. 
(d) APPLICABILITY
OF SECTION 24706.—Section 
24706 is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(c) APPLICABILITY.—This section applies to all 
service over routes provided by Amtrak, notwithstanding 
any provision of section 24701 of this title or any other 
provision of this title except section 24702(b).’’. 
SEC. 202. AMTRAK BOARD OF DIRECTORS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 24302 is amended to read 
as follows: 
‘‘§ 24302. Board of directors 
‘‘(a) COMPOSITION AND TERMS.— 
‘‘(1) The Board of Directors of Amtrak is com-
posed of the following 10 directors, each of whom 
must be a citizen of the United States: 
‘‘(A) The Secretary of Transportation. 
‘‘(B) The President of Amtrak, who shall 
serve ex officio, as a non-voting member. 
‘‘(C) 8 individuals appointed by the Presi-
dent of the United States, by and with the ad-
vice and consent of the Senate, with general 
business and financial experience, experience or 
qualifications in transportation, freight and 
passenger rail transportation, travel, hospi-
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