Action
Request for information (RFI).
Summary
On November 15, 2021, President Biden signed into law the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The BIL provides historic appropriations for railroad transportation grant programs administered by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and authorizes new programs to enhance rail safety and to repair, restore, improve, and expand the nation's rail network. Among those new programs is the Corridor Identification and Development Program (CID Program), which creates a new framework to facilitate the development of new, enhanced, and restored intercity passenger rail corridors throughout the country. Railroad Operations Analysis (OA) uses data to assess changes to railroad operations and/or capital project improvements to railroad infrastructure and is frequently part of the planning process for rail projects. OA involves the collaboration of various rail stakeholders and the sharing of data and information. As a result of the CID Program, there is an increased need for FRA and rail stakeholders to participate in OA and evaluate OA results. FRA finds value in conducting OA in a collaborative manner to promote increased confidence in the OA among stakeholders and support Federal FRA investments in infrastructure projects. In this RFI, FRA seeks public comments on the challenges involved in OA, how FRA may address those challenges, and how FRA may improve OA for Federally funded railroad projects.