AASHTO calls for maintaining rail grant funding in next surface transportation bill

Congress should reauthorize surface transportation funding levels for Amtrak's national network and Northeast Corridor as well as various rail grant programs at levels no less than what's in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA), the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) announced after approving a new set of policy resolutions.

Last week at its annual meeting, AASHTO approved six policy resolutions concerning safety, funding, finance and innovation, project delivery, the federal-aid highway program, public transportation and rail transportation for Congress to consider as it works on renewing surface transportation reauthorization legislation. The IIJA, the current surface transportation law, expires in September 2026.

“The federally assisted state-administered program and the formula-based funding that underpins the surface transportation bill remains foundational to the work of every single state DOT in meeting their goals of improving safety, mobility, and access for everyone across the country,” said Garrett Eucalitto, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Transportation and AASHTO president president, in a press release.

Among AASHTO's recommendations for rail transportation, the association says Congress should reauthorize funding for the Amtrak National Network and the Amtrak Northeast Corridor at no less than IIJA funding levels to continue efficient and effective passenger rail mobility, consider indexing authorized levels to inflation and provide state eligibility for capital and operating assistance.

In addition, AASHTO's policy resolution calls for the following grant programs to be reauthorized at no less the an IIJA levels and the federal share be maintained for: Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement, Railroad Crossing Elimination, Federal State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail, Corridor ID, Federal State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Northeast Corridor, Federal State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail National, Interstate Rail Compact and Restoration Enhancement.

Moreover Congress should:

• require that the Federal Railroad Administration enter into an agreement with a state to conduct rail inspections, including for bridges as requested by the state;

• instruct the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study to determine whether a pooled insurance arrangement for public entities supporting passenger rail could be implemented via interstate compact or federal grant;

• reauthorize the State-Amtrak Intercity Passenger Rail Committee and Northeast Corridor Commission, and Operation Lifesaver, Inc. at no less than IIJA funding levels; and

• reauthorize the Next Generation Equipment Pool Committee at $1 million per year and establish a percentage set-aside for the Next Generation Equipment Pool Committee within FRA capital grants awarded for the acquisition of passenger equipment.

The six policy resolutions dovetail with the association's 2026 vision and core policy principles for reauthorization, which the board adopted in April.