(3) ensure that the plan is consistent with the 
authorizations of appropriations under title I of this 
Act. 
SEC. 205. ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROCESS. 
(a) GRANT REQUESTS.—Amtrak shall submit grant 
requests (including a schedule for the disbursement of 
funds), consistent with the requirements of this Act, to the 
Secretary of Transportation for funds authorized to be ap-
propriated to the Secretary for the use of Amtrak under 
sections 101(a), (c), and (d), 102, and 103(c) of this Act. 
(b) PROCEDURES FOR GRANT REQUESTS.—The Sec-
retary shall establish substantive and procedural require-
ments, including schedules, for grant requests under this 
section not later than 30 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act and shall transmit copies to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate. 
(c) REVIEW AND APPROVAL.— 
(1) 30-DAY APPROVAL PROCESS.—The Secretary 
shall complete the review of a complete grant request 
(including the disbursement schedule) and approve or 
disapprove the request within 30 days after the date 
on which Amtrak submits the grant request. If the 
Secretary disapproves the request or determines that 
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the request is incomplete or deficient, the Secretary 
shall include the reason for disapproval or the incom-
plete items or deficiencies in the notice to Amtrak. 
(2) 15-DAY MODIFICATION PERIOD.—Within 15 
days after receiving notification from the Secretary 
under the preceding sentence, Amtrak shall submit a 
modified request for the Secretary’s review. 
(3) REVISED REQUESTS.—Within 15 days after 
receiving a modified request from Amtrak, the Sec-
retary shall either approve the modified request, or, if 
the Secretary finds that the request is still incomplete 
or deficient, the Secretary shall identify in writing to 
the House of Representatives Committee on Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation the re-
maining deficiencies and recommend a process for re-
solving the outstanding portions of the request. 
SEC. 206. STATE-SUPPORTED ROUTES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Within 2 years after the date of en-
actment of this Act, the Board of Directors of Amtrak, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Transportation and the 
governors of each relevant State and the Mayor of the Dis-
trict of Columbia or groups representing those officials, 
shall develop and implement a single, Nationwide standard-
ized methodology for establishing and allocating the oper-
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ating and capital costs among the States and Amtrak asso-
ciated with trains operated on routes described in section 
24102(5)(B) or (D) or section 24702 that— 
(1) ensures, within 5 years after the date of en-
actment of this Act, equal treatment in the provision 
of like services of all States and groups of States (in-
cluding the District of Columbia); and 
(2) allocates to each route the costs incurred only 
for the benefit of that route and a proportionate 
share, based upon factors that reasonably reflect rel-
ative use, of costs incurred for the common benefit of 
more than 1 route. 
(b) REVIEW.—If Amtrak and the States (including the 
District of Columbia) in which Amtrak operates such routes 
do not voluntarily adopt and implement the methodology 
developed under subsection (a) in allocating costs and deter-
mining compensation for the provision of service in accord-
ance with the date established therein, the Surface Trans-
portation Board shall determine the appropriate method-
ology required under subsection (a) for such services in ac-
cordance with the procedures and procedural schedule ap-
plicable to a proceeding under section 24904(c) of title 49, 
United States Code, and require the full implementation 
of this methodology with regards to the provision of such 
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service within 1 year after the Board’s determination of the 
appropriate methodology. 
(c) USE OF CHAPTER 244 FUNDS.—Funds provided 
to a State under chapter 244 of title 49, United States Code, 
may be used, as provided in that chapter, to pay capital 
costs determined in accordance with this section. 
SEC. 207. METRICS AND STANDARDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Within 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal 
Railroad Administration and Amtrak shall jointly, in con-
sultation with the Surface Transportation Board, rail car-
riers over whose rail lines Amtrak trains operate, States, 
Amtrak employees, nonprofit employee organizations rep-
resenting Amtrak employees, and groups representing Am-
trak passengers, as appropriate, develop new or improve ex-
isting metrics and minimum standards for measuring the 
performance and service quality of intercity passenger train 
operations, including cost recovery, on-time performance 
and minutes of delay, ridership, on-board services, stations, 
facilities, equipment, and other services. Such metrics, at 
a minimum, shall include the percentage of avoidable and 
fully allocated operating costs covered by passenger revenues 
on each route, ridership per train mile operated, measures 
of on-time performance and delays incurred by intercity 
passenger trains on the rail lines of each rail carrier and, 
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for long distance routes, measures of connectivity with other 
routes in all regions currently receiving Amtrak service and 
the transportation needs of communities and populations 
that are not well-served by other forms of public transpor-
tation. Amtrak shall provide reasonable access to the Fed-
eral Railroad Administration in order to enable the Admin-
istration to carry out its duty under this section. 
(b) QUARTERLY REPORTS.—The Administrator of the 
Federal Railroad Administration shall collect the necessary 
data and publish a quarterly report on the performance and 
service quality of intercity passenger train operations, in-
cluding Amtrak’s cost recovery, ridership, on-time perform-
ance and minutes of delay, causes of delay, on-board serv-
ices, stations, facilities, equipment, and other services. 
(c) CONTRACT WITH HOST RAIL CARRIERS.—To the 
extent practicable, Amtrak and its host rail carriers shall 
incorporate the metrics and standards developed under sub-
section (a) into their access and service agreements. 
(d) ARBITRATION.—If the development of the metrics 
and standards is not completed within the 180-day period 
required by subsection (a), any party involved in the devel-
opment of those standards may petition the Surface Trans-
portation Board to appoint an arbitrator to assist the par-
ties in resolving their disputes through binding arbitration. 
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SEC. 208. NORTHEAST CORRIDOR STATE-OF-GOOD-REPAIR 
PLAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Within 9 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the National Railroad Passenger Cor-
poration, in consultation with the Secretary and the States 
(including the District of Columbia) that make up the 
Northeast Corridor (as defined in section 24102 of title 49, 
United States Code), shall prepare a capital spending plan 
for capital projects required to return the railroad right- 
of-way (including track, signals, and auxiliary structures), 
facilities, stations, and equipment, of the Northeast Cor-
ridor to a state of good repair by the end of fiscal year 
2024, consistent with the funding levels authorized in this 
Act and shall submit the plan to the Secretary. 
(b) APPROVAL BY THE SECRETARY.— 
(1) The Corporation shall submit the capital 
spending plan prepared under this section to the Sec-
retary of Transportation for review and approval 
pursuant to the procedures developed under section 
205 of this Act. 
(2) The Secretary of Transportation shall require 
that the plan be updated at least annually and shall 
review and approve such updates. During review, the 
Secretary shall seek comments and review from the 
commission established under section 24905 of title 
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49, United States Code, and other Northeast Corridor 
users regarding the plan. 
(3) The Secretary shall make grants to the Cor-
poration with funds authorized by section 101(d) of 
this Act for Northeast Corridor capital investments 
contained within the capital spending plan prepared 
by the Corporation and approved by the Secretary. 
(4) Using the funds authorized by section 101(f) 
of this Act, the Secretary shall review Amtrak’s cap-
ital expenditures funded by this section to ensure that 
such expenditures are consistent with the capital 
spending plan and that Amtrak is providing adequate 
project management oversight and fiscal controls. 
(c) ELIGIBILITY
OF EXPENDITURES.—The Federal 
share of expenditures for capital improvements under this 
section may not exceed 100 percent. 
SEC. 209. NORTHEAST CORRIDOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND 
OPERATIONS IMPROVEMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 24905 is amended to read 
as follows: 
‘‘§ 24905. Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Oper-
ations Advisory Commission 
‘‘(a) NORTHEAST CORRIDOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND 
OPERATIONS ADVISORY COMMISSION.— 
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‘‘(1) Within 180 days after the date of enactment 
of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement 
Act of 2008, the Secretary of Transportation shall es-
tablish a Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Oper-
ations Advisory Commission (hereinafter referred to 
in this section as the ‘Commission’) to promote mu-
tual cooperation and planning pertaining to the rail 
operations and related activities of the Northeast Cor-
ridor. The Commission shall be made up of— 
‘‘(A) members representing the National 
Railroad Passenger Corporation; 
‘‘(B) members representing the Secretary of 
Transportation and the Federal Railroad Ad-
ministration; 
‘‘(C) 1 member from each of the States (in-
cluding the District of Columbia) that constitute 
the Northeast Corridor as defined in section 
24102, designated by, and serving at the pleasure 
of, the chief executive officer thereof; and 
‘‘(D) non-voting representatives of freight 
railroad carriers using the Northeast Corridor 
selected by the Secretary. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary shall ensure that the member-
ship belonging to any of the groups enumerated under 
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subparagraph (1) shall not constitute a majority of 
the commission’s memberships. 
‘‘(3) The commission shall establish a schedule 
and location for convening meetings, but shall meet 
no less than four times per fiscal year, and the com-
mission shall develop rules and procedures to govern 
the commission’s proceedings. 
‘‘(4) A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled 
in the manner in which the original appointment was 
made. 
‘‘(5) Members shall serve without pay but shall 
receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
subsistence, in accordance with sections 5702 and 
5703 of title 5, United States Code. 
‘‘(6) The Chairman of the Commission shall be 
elected by the members. 
‘‘(7) The Commission may appoint and fix the 
pay of such personnel as it considers appropriate. 
‘‘(8) Upon request of the Commission, the head 
of any department or agency of the United States 
may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the per-
sonnel of that department or agency to the Commis-
sion to assist it in carrying out its duties under this 
section. 
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‘‘(9) Upon the request of the Commission, the 
Administrator of General Services shall provide to the 
Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the administra-
tive support services necessary for the Commission to 
carry out its responsibilities under this section. 
‘‘(10) The commission shall consult with other 
entities as appropriate. 
‘‘(b) GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS.—The Commission 
shall develop recommendations concerning Northeast Cor-
ridor rail infrastructure and operations including pro-
posals addressing, as appropriate— 
‘‘(1) short-term and long-term capital investment 
needs beyond the state-of-good-repair under section 
208 of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improve-
ment Act of 2008; 
‘‘(2) future funding requirements for capital im-
provements and maintenance; 
‘‘(3) operational improvements of intercity pas-
senger rail, commuter rail, and freight rail services; 
‘‘(4) opportunities for additional non-rail uses of 
the Northeast Corridor; 
‘‘(5) scheduling and dispatching; 
‘‘(6) safety enhancements; 
‘‘(7) equipment design; 
‘‘(8) marketing of rail services; and 
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ficient, and cost-effective passenger rail equip-
ment. 
‘‘(D) Projects that are— 
‘‘(i) at a stage of preparation that all 
pre-commencement compliance with envi-
ronmental protection requirements has al-
ready been completed; and 
‘‘(ii) ready to be commenced. 
‘‘(E) Projects with positive economic and 
employment impacts. 
‘‘(F) Projects that encourage the use of posi-
tive train control technologies. 
‘‘(G) Projects that have commitments of 
funding from non-Federal Government sources in 
a total amount that exceeds the minimum 
amount of the non-Federal contribution required 
for the project. 
‘‘(H) Projects that involve donated property 
interests or services. 
‘‘(I) Projects that are identified by the Sur-
face Transportation Board as necessary to im-
prove the on time performance and reliability of 
intercity passenger rail under section 24308(f). 
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