Opinion: Prioritize Amtrak, but Don’t Demonize Freight

“A new bill introduced in Congress by U.S. Reps. Chris Deluzio, D- Aspinwall, and Brendan Boyle, D- Philadelphia, aims to make American rail travel more efficient by giving Amtrak more leverage to force freight rail companies to follow the law — by getting out of the way.”

According to an article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette republished in Mass Transit, Amtrak reports losing over one million minutes and more than $40 million in operating expenses and revenues due to freight interference.

The proposed bill, known as the Railroad Passenger Fairness Act, would strengthen enforcement of the existing Amtrak Improvement Act, a 1973 law that mandates that passenger rail get preference over freight but that contains weak enforcement mechanisms. “Unfortunately, decisions made decades ago by policymakers and corporations have reduced the nation's overall rail capacity, forcing the U.S. to decide which usage to prioritize. The 1973 Amtrak Improvement Act was meant to give passenger rail a fighting chance, after the federal government relieved rail companies from the responsibility to provide passenger services three years earlier.”