thority should take into consideration the following 
matters: 
‘‘(A) Contributions made by non-Federal 
and non-State sources through user fees, 
matching funds, or other private capital involve-
ment. 
‘‘(B) Rail capacity and congestion effects. 
‘‘(C) Effects to highway, aviation, and 
maritime capacity, congestion, or safety. 
‘‘(D) Regional balance. 
‘‘(E) Environmental impact. 
‘‘(F) Economic and employment impacts. 
‘‘(G) Projected ridership and other service 
measures for passenger rail projects. 
‘‘§ 22506. Review 
‘‘The Secretary shall prescribe procedures for States 
to submit State rail plans for review under this title, in-
cluding standardized format and data requirements.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of chap-
ters for subtitle V of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting the following after the item relating 
to chapter 223: 
‘‘225. STATE RAIL PLANS ................................................................... 22501’’. 
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SEC. 523. RAIL COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT AND CONTENT.—Chapter 249 
of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following: 
‘‘§ 24910. Rail cooperative research program 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 
and carry out a rail cooperative research program. The 
program shall— 
‘‘(1) address, among other matters, intercity 
rail passenger and freight rail services, including ex-
isting rail passenger and freight technologies and 
speeds, incrementally enhanced rail systems and in-
frastructure, and new high-speed wheel-on-rail sys-
tems and rail security; 
‘‘(2) address ways to expand the transportation 
of international trade traffic by rail, enhance the ef-
ficiency of intermodal interchange at ports and other 
intermodal terminals, and increase capacity and 
availability of rail service for seasonal freight needs; 
‘‘(3) consider research on the interconnected-
ness of commuter rail, passenger rail, freight rail, 
and other rail networks; and 
‘‘(4) give consideration to regional concerns re-
garding rail passenger and freight transportation, 
including meeting research needs common to des-
ignated high-speed corridors, long-distance rail serv-
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ices, and regional intercity rail corridors, projects, 
and entities. 
‘‘(b) CONTENT.—The program to be carried out 
under this section shall include research designed— 
‘‘(1) to identify the unique aspects and at-
tributes of rail passenger and freight service; 
‘‘(2) to develop more accurate models for evalu-
ating the impact of rail passenger and freight serv-
ice, including the effects on highway and airport and 
airway congestion, environmental quality, and energy 
consumption; 
‘‘(3) to develop a better understanding of modal 
choice as it affects rail passenger and freight trans-
portation, including development of better models to 
predict utilization; 
‘‘(4) to recommend priorities for technology 
demonstration and development; 
‘‘(5) to meet additional priorities as determined 
by the advisory board established under subsection 
(c), including any recommendations made by the Na-
tional Research Council; 
‘‘(6) to explore improvements in management, 
financing, and institutional structures; 
‘‘(7) to address rail capacity constraints that 
affect passenger and freight rail service through a 
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100 
wide variety of options, ranging from operating im-
provements to dedicated new infrastructure, taking 
into account the impact of such options on oper-
ations; 
‘‘(8) to improve maintenance, operations, cus-
tomer service, or other aspects of intercity rail pas-
senger and freight service; 
‘‘(9) to recommend objective methodologies for 
determining intercity passenger rail routes and serv-
ices, including the establishment of new routes, the 
elimination of existing routes, and the contraction or 
expansion of services or frequencies over such 
routes; 
‘‘(10) to review the impact of equipment and 
operational safety standards on the further develop-
ment of high speed passenger rail operations con-
nected to or integrated with non-high speed freight 
or passenger rail operations; and 
‘‘(11) to recommend any legislative or regu-
latory changes necessary to foster further develop-
ment and implementation of high speed passenger 
rail operations while ensuring the safety of such op-
erations that are connected to or integrated with 
non-high speed freight or passenger rail operations. 
‘‘(c) ADVISORY BOARD.— 
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101 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—In consultation with 
the heads of appropriate Federal departments and 
agencies, the Secretary shall establish an advisory 
board to recommend research, technology, and tech-
nology transfer activities related to rail passenger 
and freight transportation. 
‘‘(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The advisory board shall 
include— 
‘‘(A) representatives of State transpor-
tation agencies; 
‘‘(B) transportation and environmental 
economists, scientists, and engineers; and 
‘‘(C) representatives of Amtrak, the Alaska 
Railroad, freight railroads, transit operating 
agencies, intercity rail passenger agencies, rail-
way labor organizations, and environmental or-
ganizations. 
‘‘(d) NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.—The Sec-
retary may make grants to, and enter into cooperative 
agreements with, the National Academy of Sciences to 
carry out such activities relating to the research, tech-
nology, and technology transfer activities described in sub-
section (b) as the Secretary deems appropriate.’’. 
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