49 U.S.C. § 25101 — Corridor Identification and Development Program

(a) In General. Within 180 days of the 2021 Passenger Rail Expansion and Rail Safety Act's enactment, the Secretary had to establish a program to help develop intercity passenger rail corridors. It must include: (1) a way for eligible entities to submit corridor development proposals; (2) a way for the Secretary to review and select proposals; (3) readiness criteria for federal funding, covering at least identifying a service operator (which may include Amtrak or a private carrier), a service sponsor or sponsors, capital project sponsors, host-railroad engagement, and other criteria the Secretary sets; (4) a process for preparing service development plans, including identifying planning funds such as grants under section 24911(k) and interstate rail compact grants under section 22210; (5) building a pipeline of corridor projects under subsection (g); (6) planning guidance, including for corridors not selected; and (7) any other features the Secretary considers relevant to successfully developing corridors. (b) Eligible Entities. The Secretary may accept proposals from Amtrak, states, groups of states, entities implementing interstate compacts, regional passenger rail authorities, regional planning organizations, political subdivisions of a state, federally recognized Indian Tribes, and other public entities the Secretary approves. (c) Corridor Selection. In selecting corridors, the Secretary must consider: (1) whether the route came from a regional or interregional passenger rail planning study; (2) projected ridership, revenue, capital investment, and operating funding needs; (3) expected environmental, congestion-mitigation, and other public benefits; (4) projected trip times and how competitive they are with other transportation modes; (5) expected economic and employment impacts near stations, historic districts, or opportunity zones; (6) committed or expected non-federal funding for operating and capital costs; (7) benefits to rural communities; (8) whether the corridor is in a state's approved rail plan under chapter 227; (9) whether it serves historically unserved or underserved, low-income, or persistently poor communities; (10) whether it improves connectivity with other transportation services; (11) whether it connects at least 2 of the 100 most populated metropolitan areas; (12) whether it enhances regional equity and geographic diversity of intercity rail service; (13) whether it is or would be integrated into the national rail passenger system and would benefit other routes and services; and (14) whether a passenger rail operator, including a private carrier, has expressed support for the corridor. (d) Service Development Plans. For each corridor proposal selected, the Secretary must partner with the proposing entity, relevant states, and Amtrak (as appropriate) to prepare or update a service development plan including: (1) a detailed description of the proposed service — train frequencies, operating speeds, trip times; (2) a corridor project inventory identifying the needed capital projects, likely applicants, and proposed federal funding levels, specifying the order funding will be sought, and developed in consultation with the entities in subsection (e); (3) a schedule and phasing for projects and service changes; (4) project sponsors and other participating entities; (5) how the corridor would comply with federal rail safety and security laws; (6) existing and proposed station locations; (7) rolling stock and equipment needs; (8) a financial plan projecting annual revenues, annual ridership, pre-service capital investments, ongoing capital investments, annual operating costs, and sources of capital and operating support; (9) how the corridor contributes to a multi-state regional intercity rail network; (10) an intermodal plan describing connections to other transportation services; (11) expected environmental benefits; and (12) the corridor's impacts on highway and aviation congestion, energy use, land use, and economic development. (e) Consultation. In preparing a service development plan, the Secretary must consult Amtrak; relevant state and regional transportation authorities and local officials; representatives of employee labor organizations for railroad and other relevant employees; host railroads for the proposed corridor; and other stakeholders the Secretary determines. (f) Updates. Every 5 years after a service development plan is first prepared, if less than 40 percent of the work to implement it is done, the plan's sponsor — in consultation with the Secretary — must decide whether the plan needs updating. (g) Project Pipeline. Within 1 year of the program's establishment, and by February 1 each year after, the Secretary must submit to the relevant Senate and House committees a project pipeline that: (1) identifies corridors selected for development; (2) identifies capital projects for federal investment, applicants, and proposed federal funding levels consistent with the corridor project inventory; (3) specifies the order the Secretary would provide federal assistance to projects with identified sponsors, subject to available funds, including a method and plan for apportioning funds over a 5-year period, which the Secretary may adjust if sponsors fall behind schedule; (4) considers the sequencing and phasing in the corridor project inventory; (5) considers existing commitments and expected federal, applicant, sponsor, and other funding for the next 5 fiscal years; (6) is prioritized by corridor readiness; and (7) reflects consultation with Amtrak. (h) Definition. In this section, "intercity passenger rail corridor" means: (1) a new intercity passenger rail route under 750 miles; (2) an enhancement of an existing intercity passenger rail route under 750 miles; (3) restoring service over all or part of a route Amtrak used to operate; or (4) increasing service frequency on a long-distance intercity passenger rail route.