Capital Grants to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Pub. L. No. 111-5, 123 Stat. 115 (2/17/2009) “Recovery Act”) was enacted by Congress to: (1) preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery, (2) assist those most impacted by the recession, (3) provide investments needed to increase economic efficiency by spurring technological advances in science and health, (4) invest in transportation, environmental protection and other infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits, and (5) stabilize State and local government budgets, in order to minimize and avoid reductions in essential services and counterproductive state and local tax increases. Pursuant to the Recovery Act, the Federal Railroad Administration is to make available to the National Passenger Railroad Corporation (Amtrak) $1,300,000,000, of which $450,000,000 shall be used for capital security grants, including life safety improvements, and $5,000,000 is to be made available for the Amtrak Office of Inspector General. These funds were authorized by Congress in the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (Pub. L. No. 110-432) (10/16/2008) (PRIIA). Priority for the use of the $850,000,000 in non-security funds is to be given to projects for the repair, rehabilitation, or upgrade of railroad assets or infrastructure, and for capital projects that expand passenger rail capacity, including the rehabilitation of rolling stock. In addition, no more than 60 percent of the non-security funds may be spent for projects along the Northeast Corridor. Projects are to be completed within 2 years of enactment of the Recovery Act, and are to serve to supplement and not supplant planned expenditures for such activities from other Federal, State, local and corporate sources.