Rail Passenger Fairness Act

HR 5570, the Rail Passenger Fairness Act, allows Amtrak to directly sue host railroads in federal court to enforce its statutory right to priority over freight trains on shared rail networks. This bill amends existing law (49 U.S.C. § 24308(c)) to give Amtrak, not just the Attorney General, the legal right to seek court orders ensuring passenger trains receive priority as required by the 1973 Amtrak Improvement Act. The key provision removes the sole reliance on the Attorney General for enforcement - a mechanism used only once since Amtrak's founding - and enables Amtrak to pursue legal action directly. This change aims to address chronic delays caused by host railroads prioritizing freight, which contributed to over 3.2 million minutes of passenger train delays in 2019. The bill focuses solely on altering the enforcement mechanism, not on prescribing new service standards or funding.