U.S. Sen. Markey, Rep. Deluzio introduce All Aboard Act

U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) and Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) this week announced they've introduced a bill titled the All Aboard Act, which calls for a $200 billion, five-year federal investment in the nation's rail network.

The legislation does not include mandates, the lawmakers said in a press release. It calls for federal funding to be invested to build high-speed rail, expand existing passenger rail service, and electrify the most heavily polluting rail yards and corridors. The bill also calls for funding for rail-crossing safety, critical labor protections for rail workers and a new rail worker training grant program.

Specifically, the legislation if passed would:

• create a first-of-its-kind dedicated rail formula program for states to do rail planning, maintenance, operations and capital investment; 
• invest $300 million over five years to establish freight- and passenger-rail training centers run in partnership with organized labor;
• expand on funding established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 by providing $80 billion to the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail, $30 billion to the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure Safety and Improvement Program (CRISI), $30 billion to Amtrak and $10 billion for the railroad Grade Crossing Elimination program;
• establish a railroad electrification fund; and
• address air pollution from rail yards.

"This bill will make American passenger and freight rail a lot safer and cleaner and will invest in the rail workers who make it all happen," said Deluzio, who serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

“The All Aboard Act provides the investment needed to give Americans the train service they are clamoring for, help save our planet and do it all with union labor," said Markey, who serves on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.