"America Builds: Improving the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Federal Rail Assistance"

House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads

2025-05-06

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Source: Congress.gov

Summary

This meeting of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazards focused on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of federal rail assistance programs and reauthorizing Department of Transportation surface transportation programs [ 00:27:00 ] . Key discussions revolved around the impact of recent infrastructure investments, bureaucratic hurdles in grant implementation, and the vital role of different rail sectors . Witnesses provided insights into how federal funding is used and offered suggestions for streamlining processes to ensure timely and cost-effective project delivery .

Themes

Impact of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Guaranteed Funding

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) has made historic investments in passenger rail, significantly impacting projects nationwide . Specific examples include the Brightline West high-speed train, the replacement of the Norwalk River Bridge, and various safety improvements . Guaranteed funding from the BIL is considered crucial for long-term planning and project execution, providing stability that was previously absent with annual appropriations [ 00:34:00 ]

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. There is strong bipartisan support for continuing guaranteed funding for rail in the next surface transportation authorization bill .

Challenges in Grant Implementation and Bureaucracy

A major recurring challenge is the slow and complex process for federal grant applications and obligations . The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements are frequently identified as a significant source of delays and increased costs, often taking years to complete . Suggested improvements include streamlining NEPA by accepting existing state DOT standards and processes, providing pre-award authority letters, and developing tiered grant processes for experienced states . The "stop and start" nature of discretionary grants and the lack of consistent, empowered FRA staffing further exacerbate delays .

Role of Short Line Railroads and Local Communities

Short line railroads are essential for providing "first mile, last mile" freight service, which is critical for local economies and job creation in many communities [ 00:26:52 ] . The CRISI (Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements) grant program has been "transformational" for short lines, enabling them to upgrade infrastructure and expand services [ 00:26:52 ] . However, delays in CRISI grant disbursement, sometimes taking years from application to funding, pose significant challenges for these small businesses . Smaller communities and short lines often lack the administrative capacity and resources to navigate complex federal grant applications, necessitating support from state DOTs who frequently apply on their behalf .

Rail Safety and Grade Crossing Elimination

The Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) program is lauded as a vital initiative for improving rail safety and reducing the high number of accidents and fatalities at grade crossings nationwide . Members highlighted specific dangerous crossings in their districts and emphasized the program's transformative impact on community safety . It is considered crucial to maintain separate and dedicated funding for grade crossing elimination projects, as integrating them into broader programs could dilute their effectiveness and hinder projects that might not fare well in traditional cost-benefit analyses .

Concerns about Federal Grant Freezes and Reductions

Several speakers voiced strong concerns regarding recent reports of Department of Transportation grants being put "on hold" or reduced by the current administration [ 00:33:53 ]

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. These actions are seen as undermining the progress made by the BIL, increasing project costs due to delays, risking jobs, and creating significant uncertainty for project delivery . Such freezes make long-term planning difficult for states and can force them to suspend or significantly delay critical infrastructure projects .

Tone of the Meeting

The tone of the meeting was largely constructive and collaborative, with a shared bipartisan understanding of the importance of robust federal investment in rail infrastructure . However, this cooperative spirit was underscored by evident frustration and urgency regarding bureaucratic inefficiencies, particularly surrounding NEPA, and concerns over recent federal actions that have paused or reduced awarded grants [ 00:33:53 ]

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. Members from both parties consistently emphasized the critical need for efficiency and predictable, dedicated funding to ensure maximum impact from these investments [ 00:33:39 ]

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.

Participants

Transcript

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Mr. Kevin Hicks, P.E.
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Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazards Race will come to order.  I ask unanimous consent that the chairman be authorized to declare a recess at any time during today's hearing.  Without objection, show that ordered.  I ask unanimous consent that the members not on the subcommittee be permitted to sit with the subcommittee in today's hearing and ask questions.  Without objection, show that ordered.   As a reminder, if members wish to insert a document in the record, please also email it to documentsti at mail.house.gov.  I recognize myself for the purpose of making an opening statement for five minutes.   Most of us are familiar with the unfortunate and unnecessary reputation of our country for building and repairing infrastructure.  It takes too long, costs too much.  Many of what we would today call megaprojects, like the original Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge and the Triborough Bridge   New York took just a few years to build.  Hoover Dam was completed in just five years.  While delays to large projects garner all of the media attention, many of the same laws, processes, and red tape that they add in years to project completion in time and cost also plague New York.   smaller projects initiated by both freight and passenger services centers carriers.  Recognizing the importance of a safe, efficient, and reliable freight and passenger rail transportation system, Congress has authorized several programs to assist those carriers who, owing to their own size and market segments, lack the resources of larger operators to invest substantial funds
and their infrastructure needs.  These include programs like CRISI, which serves as a vital source of funding to assist short line railroads to rehabilitate and expand infrastructure necessary for the mission to provide first and last mile freight service.   Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of these programs is the purpose of today's hearing and a goal of the committee's work to a reauthorized Department of Transportation surface transportation programs.  Additionally, federal infrastructure funding should support core programs and construction of infrastructure.  The Trump administration has inherited a backlog of more than 3,000 unobligated DOT grants.   The responsibility of the administration took the time to review these grants to ensure that the best use of taxpayer dollars today   The department announced it approved more than 1,800 grants totaling $3 billion.  I look forward to working with the administration to reduce the Biden backlog in a timely manner and ensure that federal grants are focused on improving critical infrastructure.   Again, I look forward to learning the views of today's witnesses.  I now recognize Rookie Member Titus for five minutes for an opening remark.  You're recognized.
Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for holding this hearing.  Through the bipartisan infrastructure law, this committee made some historic investments in passenger rail, and we're seeing the impact of that all across the country.  Certainly, we're seeing it in Las Vegas.   Thanks to a $3 billion grant from the federal state partnership for inner city passenger rail, Brightline West has broken ground on a new high speed train between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.  I've been working to bring high speed rail to the southwest for   many years and I'm excited, excuse me, that it's becoming a reality.  I'm also proud that this project is creating good paying union jobs.  Rail union workers are building Brightline West and they're gonna play a role in operating and maintaining it once it's in service.  In fact, it's been estimated that the project will create 35,000 construction jobs and 1,000 permanent jobs and that's nothing to sneeze at.   While Brightline West is a success story, I know it's not the only model we need to support as we work to improve inner city passenger rail.  We've got to remember that there's not a passenger rail system in the world, in the whole world, that operates without some government investment in capital projects.  I believe we need to provide robust funding for Amtrak and competitive grants in the next transportation authorization bill.   We don't want to lose all the progress that we've made over the past five years, and that's what will happen if we don't invest.  Amtrak services are found in red and blue districts, and I'm glad to see that some of my Republican colleagues voted in favor of amendments to protect Amtrak funding for the Northeast corridor and for the North Carolina rail system
during last week's markup of this committee.  There are many communities across the U.S.  that will benefit from sustained federal rail investments.  The Federal Rail Administration has identified 69 corridors and 44 states as ready for additional investment.  These are in many of our districts with proposed lines, extensions to existing routes,   or improvements to the rail service in 49 districts on this committee alone, 49 in this committee alone.

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