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‘‘(3) promote an integrated, cohesive, safe, effi-
cient, and optimized national rail system for the 
movement of goods and people and to support the na-
tional economy and other national needs; and 
‘‘(4) contain a specific national intercity pas-
senger rail development plan and a freight rail plan 
that are consistent with other Federal strategy, plan-
ning, and investment efforts. 
‘‘(c) OBJECTIVES.—The objectives of the national rail 
plan are— 
‘‘(1) to implement a national policy and strategy 
to support, preserve, improve, and further develop ex-
isting and future high-speed and intercity passenger 
rail transportation and freight rail transportation; 
and 
‘‘(2) to provide a national framework to be re-
fined and implemented by regional rail plans under 
section 22702 and State rail plans under 22703. 
‘‘(d) CONTENTS.—The national rail plan shall in-
clude— 
‘‘(1) the conditions under which Federal invest-
ments in intercity passenger rail and freight rail are 
justified, including consideration of— 
‘‘(A) population size and density;
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‘‘(B) projected population and economic 
growth and changing demographic characteris-
tics; 
‘‘(C) connections to local rail and bus tran-
sit, alternative transportation options, and 
multi-modal freight transportation nodes; 
‘‘(D) economic profile of specific markets; 
‘‘(E) congestion on existing transportation 
facilities and constraints on future capacity en-
hancements, in relation to efficient movement of 
both goods and people; 
‘‘(F) distances between markets; 
‘‘(G) geographic characteristics; 
‘‘(H) demand for present and future freight 
rail transportation services; 
‘‘(I) ability to serve underserved commu-
nities and enhance intra-and inter-regional 
connectivity of mega-regions; 
‘‘(J) transportation safety data and anal-
yses; 
‘‘(K) travel market size; and 
‘‘(L) availability and quality of service 
from other transportation modes within a mar-
ket;
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‘‘§ 22704. Transparency and coordination 
‘‘(a) PREPARATION AND REVIEW.— 
‘‘(1) FEDERAL TRANSPARENCY.—The Secretary 
of Transportation shall provide adequate and reason-
able notice and an opportunity for comment to the 
public, rail carriers, commuter and transit authori-
ties (operating in or affected by rail operations with-
in the region or State), units of local government, and 
other interested parties when the Secretary prepares 
or reviews the national rail plan under section 22701 
or a regional rail plan under section 22702. 
‘‘(2) STATE TRANSPARENCY.—A State shall pro-
vide adequate and reasonable notice and an oppor-
tunity for comment to the public, rail carriers, com-
muter and transit authorities (operating in or af-
fected by rail operations within the region or the 
State), units of local government, and other interested 
parties, when the State prepares or reviews a State 
rail plan under section 22703. 
‘‘(b) INTERGOVERNMENTAL COORDINATION.—A State 
shall— 
‘‘(1) review the freight and passenger rail service 
activities and initiatives by regional planning agen-
cies, regional transportation authorities, and munici-
palities (within the State or within the region in
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‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of the National Rail Sys-
tem Preservation, Expansion, and Development Act of 
2012, the Committee shall create an equipment pool-
ing entity that includes— 
‘‘(A) Amtrak; 
‘‘(B) States that purchase, with Federal 
funds, intercity passenger rail rolling stock and 
equipment that is built in accordance with the 
specifications created by the Next Generation 
Corridor Equipment Pool Committee; and 
‘‘(C) other States and entities, as appro-
priate. 
‘‘(2) IN GENERAL.—The equipment pooling enti-
ty— 
‘‘(A) may— 
‘‘(i) be a corporation or other coopera-
tive entity; and 
‘‘(ii) be owned or jointly-owned by 
Amtrak, a participating State, or other en-
tity; and 
‘‘(B) shall be authorized to— 
‘‘(i) lease or acquire intercity pas-
senger rail rolling stock and equipment used 
in State-supported corridor services on