H. R. 22—334 
‘‘§ 24407. 
Consolidated 
rail 
infrastructure 
and 
safety 
improvements 
‘‘(a) GENERAL AUTHORITY.—The Secretary may make grants 
under this section to an eligible recipient to assist in financing 
the cost of improving passenger and freight rail transportation 
systems in terms of safety, efficiency, or reliability. 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS.—The following entities are eligible 
to receive a grant under this section: 
‘‘(1) A State. 
‘‘(2) A group of States. 
‘‘(3) An Interstate Compact. 
‘‘(4) A public agency or publicly chartered authority estab-
lished by 1 or more States. 
‘‘(5) A political subdivision of a State. 
‘‘(6) Amtrak or another rail carrier that provides intercity 
rail passenger transportation (as defined in section 24102). 
‘‘(7) A Class II railroad or Class III railroad (as those 
terms are defined in section 20102). 
‘‘(8) Any rail carrier or rail equipment manufacturer in 
partnership with at least 1 of the entities described in para-
graphs (1) through (5). 
‘‘(9) The Transportation Research Board and any entity 
with which it contracts in the development of rail-related 
research, including cooperative research programs. 
‘‘(10) A University transportation center engaged in rail- 
related research. 
‘‘(11) A non-profit labor organization representing a class 
or craft of employees of rail carriers or rail carrier contractors. 
‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.—The following projects are eligible 
to receive grants under this section: 
‘‘(1) Deployment of railroad safety technology, including 
positive train control and rail integrity inspection systems. 
‘‘(2) A capital project as defined in section 24401(2), except 
that a project shall not be required to be in a State rail 
plan developed under chapter 227. 
‘‘(3) A capital project identified by the Secretary as being 
necessary to address congestion challenges affecting rail service. 
‘‘(4) A capital project identified by the Secretary as being 
necessary to reduce congestion and facilitate ridership growth 
in intercity passenger rail transportation along heavily traveled 
rail corridors. 
‘‘(5) A highway-rail grade crossing improvement project, 
including installation, repair, or improvement of grade separa-
tions, railroad crossing signals, gates, and related technologies, 
highway traffic signalization, highway lighting and crossing 
approach signage, roadway improvements such as medians or 
other barriers, railroad crossing panels and surfaces, and safety 
engineering improvements to reduce risk in quiet zones or 
potential quiet zones. 
‘‘(6) A rail line relocation and improvement project. 
‘‘(7) A capital project to improve short-line or regional rail-
road infrastructure. 
‘‘(8) The preparation of regional rail and corridor service 
development plans and corresponding environmental analyses. 
‘‘(9) Any project that the Secretary considers necessary 
to enhance multimodal connections or facilitate service integra-
tion between rail service and other modes, including between
H. R. 22—335 
intercity rail passenger transportation and intercity bus service 
or commercial air service. 
‘‘(10) The development and implementation of a safety pro-
gram or institute designed to improve rail safety. 
‘‘(11) Any research that the Secretary considers necessary 
to advance any particular aspect of rail-related capital, oper-
ations, or safety improvements. 
‘‘(12) Workforce development and training activities, coordi-
nated to the extent practicable with the existing local training 
programs supported by the Department of Transportation, the 
Department of Labor, and the Department of Education. 
‘‘(d) APPLICATION PROCESS.—The Secretary shall prescribe the 
form and manner of filing an application under this section. 
‘‘(e) PROJECT SELECTION CRITERIA.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In selecting a recipient of a grant for 
an eligible project, the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(A) give preference to a proposed project for which 
the proposed Federal share of total project costs does not 
exceed 50 percent; and 
‘‘(B) after factoring in preference to projects under 
subparagraph (A), select projects that will maximize the 
net benefits of the funds appropriated for use under this 
section, considering the cost-benefit analysis of the pro-
posed project, including anticipated private and public 
benefits relative to the costs of the proposed project and 
factoring in the other considerations described in paragraph 
(2). 
‘‘(2) OTHER CONSIDERATIONS.—The Secretary shall also con-
sider the following: 
‘‘(A) The degree to which the proposed project’s busi-
ness plan considers potential private sector participation 
in the financing, construction, or operation of the project. 
‘‘(B) The recipient’s past performance in developing 
and delivering similar projects, and previous financial con-
tributions. 
‘‘(C) Whether the recipient has or will have the legal, 
financial, and technical capacity to carry out the proposed 
project, satisfactory continuing control over the use of the 
equipment or facilities, and the capability and willingness 
to maintain the equipment or facilities. 
‘‘(D) If applicable, the consistency of the proposed 
project with planning guidance and documents set forth 
by the Secretary or required by law or State rail plans 
developed under chapter 227. 
‘‘(E) If applicable, any technical evaluation ratings the 
proposed project received under previous competitive grant 
programs administered by the Secretary. 
‘‘(F) Such other factors as the Secretary considers rel-
evant to the successful delivery of the project. 
‘‘(3) BENEFITS.—The benefits described in paragraph (1)(B) 
may include the effects on system and service performance, 
including measures such as improved safety, competitiveness, 
reliability, trip or transit time, resilience, efficiencies from 
improved integration with other modes, the ability to meet 
existing or anticipated demand, and any other benefits. 
‘‘(f) PERFORMANCE MEASURES.—The Secretary shall establish 
performance measures for each grant recipient to assess progress
H. R. 22—336 
in achieving strategic goals and objectives. The Secretary may 
require a grant recipient to periodically report information related 
to such performance measures. 
‘‘(g) RURAL AREAS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Of the amounts appropriated under this 
section, at least 25 percent shall be available for projects in 
rural areas. The Secretary shall consider a project to be in 
a rural area if all or the majority of the project (determined 
by the geographic location or locations where the majority 
of the project funds will be spent) is located in a rural area. 
‘‘(2) DEFINITION OF RURAL AREA.—In this subsection, the 
term ‘rural area’ means any area not in an urbanized area, 
as defined by the Bureau of the Census. 
‘‘(h) FEDERAL SHARE OF TOTAL PROJECT COSTS.— 
‘‘(1) TOTAL PROJECT COSTS.—The Secretary shall estimate 
the total costs of a project under this section based on the 
best available information, including any available engineering 
studies, studies of economic feasibility, environmental analyses, 
and information on the expected use of equipment or facilities. 
‘‘(2) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of total project 
costs under this section shall not exceed 80 percent. 
‘‘(3) TREATMENT OF PASSENGER RAIL REVENUE.—If Amtrak 
or another rail carrier is an applicant under this section, 
Amtrak or the other rail carrier, as applicable, may use ticket 
and other revenues generated from its operations and other 
sources to satisfy the non-Federal share requirements. 
‘‘(i) APPLICABILITY.—Except as specifically provided in this sec-
tion, the use of any amounts appropriated for grants under this 
section shall be subject to the requirements of this chapter. 
‘‘(j) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts appropriated for carrying out this 
section shall remain available until expended. 
‘‘(k) LIMITATION.—The requirements of sections 24402, 24403, 
and 24404 and the definition contained in 24401(1) shall not apply 
to this section. 
‘‘(l) SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION CIRCUMSTANCES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out this chapter, the Sec-
retary shall allocate an appropriate portion of the amounts 
available to programs in this chapter to provide grants to 
States— 
‘‘(A) in which there is no intercity passenger rail 
service, for the purpose of funding freight rail capital 
projects that are on a State rail plan developed under 
chapter 227 that provide public benefits (as defined in 
chapter 227), as determined by the Secretary; or 
‘‘(B) in which the rail transportation system is not 
physically connected to rail systems in the continental 
United States or may not otherwise qualify for a grant 
under this section due to the unique characteristics of 
the geography of that State or other relevant consider-
ations, for the purpose of funding transportation-related 
capital projects. 
‘‘(2) DEFINITION.—For the purposes of this subsection, the 
term ‘appropriate portion’ means a share, for each State subject 
to paragraph (1), not less than the share of the total railroad 
route miles in such State of the total railroad route miles 
in the United States, excluding from all totals the route miles
H. R. 22—337 
exclusively used for tourist, scenic, and excursion railroad oper-
ations.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of contents of chapter 
244 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding after 
the item relating to section 24406 the following: 
‘‘24407. Consolidated rail infrastructure and safety improvements.’’. 
(c) REPEALS.— 
(1) Sections 20154 and 20167 of chapter 201 of title 49, 
United States Code, and the items relating to such sections 
in the table of contents of such chapter, are repealed. 
(2) Section 24105 of chapter 241 of title 49, United States 
Code, and the item relating to such section in the table of 
contents of such chapter, is repealed. 
(3) Chapter 225 of title 49, United States Code, and the 
item relating to such chapter in the table of contents of subtitle 
V of such title, is repealed. 
(4) Section 22108 of chapter 221 of title 49, United States 
Code, and the item relating to such section in the table of 
contents of such chapter, are repealed. 
SEC. 11302. FEDERAL-STATE PARTNERSHIP FOR STATE OF GOOD 
REPAIR. 
(a) AMENDMENT.—Chapter 249 of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended by inserting after section 24910 the following: 
‘‘§ 24911. Federal-State partnership for state of good repair 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) APPLICANT.—The term ‘applicant’ means— 
‘‘(A) a State (including the District of Columbia); 
‘‘(B) a group of States; 
‘‘(C) an Interstate Compact; 
‘‘(D) a public agency or publicly chartered authority 
established by 1 or more States; 
‘‘(E) a political subdivision of a State; 
‘‘(F) Amtrak, acting on its own behalf or under a 
cooperative agreement with 1 or more States; or 
‘‘(G) any combination of the entities described in sub-
paragraphs (A) through (F). 
‘‘(2) CAPITAL PROJECT.—The term ‘capital project’ means— 
‘‘(A) a project primarily intended to replace, rehabili-
tate, or repair major infrastructure assets utilized for pro-
viding intercity rail passenger service, including tunnels, 
bridges, stations, and other assets, as determined by the 
Secretary; or 
‘‘(B) a project primarily intended to improve intercity 
passenger rail performance, including reduced trip times, 
increased train frequencies, higher operating speeds, and 
other improvements, as determined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(3) INTERCITY
RAIL
PASSENGER
TRANSPORTATION.—The 
term ‘intercity rail passenger transportation’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 24102. 
‘‘(4) NORTHEAST CORRIDOR.—The term ‘Northeast Corridor’ 
means— 
‘‘(A) the main rail line between Boston, Massachusetts 
and the District of Columbia;