Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021)

Interesting hearing teed up for Thursday morning in DC. Looks like a good place to start a thread on this topic.

Leveraging Infrastructure and Job Act (IIJA) — Plans for Expanding Intercity Passenger Rail
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
12/9/2021 @ 10 AM
https://transportation.house.gov/commit ... enger-rail

"During the hearing, witnesses will discuss plans for expanding intercity passenger rail in their states, regions, and networks, and how the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was recently signed into law, will support these efforts."

Video is up on CSPAN:
https://www.c-span.org/video/?516638-1/ ... enger-rail

Going through the transcript, they had Amtrak's CEO, NJ Transit's CEO, CalDOT's head... and the transscript moves...

OIG report on Amtrak's use of the IIJA: Railway Age

Amtrak OIG on Sept. 6 released a report (above) updating Amtrak’s efforts to use, account and report on direct IIJA funding it will receive to upgrade capital assets, acquire new trainsets and reduce its backlog of deferred capital projects. As of July 2023, Amtrak has received about $731 million in IIJA funds and spent $638 million, the report found.

In total, the IIJA provides $66 billion for passenger and freight rail improvements. Of this, Amtrak will receive about $22 billion in direct funding, and this funding is disbursed by the Federal Railroad Administration based on Amtrak’s forecasts for the next quarter’s spending. “Before Amtrak can spend these funds, the FRA must approve a statement of work for each project,” according to Amtrak OIG, which noted that in addition to the direct funding, Amtrak could access or benefit from as much as $44 billion through various grant programs funded through the IIJA and administered by FRA.
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According to Amtrak OIG, America’s Railroad plans to allocate most of the $22 billion in direct IIJA funding to seven major areas: spending $6.62 billion acquiring Amtrak Airo intercity trainsets, and constructing or modifying maintenance facilities to service them; $4.94 billion to replace its long-distance fleet and diesel locomotives; $2.78 billion to address deferred capital projects and reduce its inventory of obsolete assets; $2.3 billion to upgrade or modify maintenance facilities; $1.74 billion to bring specific stations into compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act; and $1.49 billion for participation in the FRA’s Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail grant program, which will help fund projects like the Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel replacement, Connecticut River Bridge replacement and the New York Penn Station expansion. Amtrak plans to use the remaining funds, about $1.7 billion, “to address contingencies for IIJA-funding projects, as a set aside for unforeseen risks, and for operating expenses in support of IIJA capital projects,” according to Amtrak OIG.
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