US House Attacks Passenger Rail and Transit – Cutting General Fund Appropriations by 80 percent!

Overview: The US House Transportation-Housing and Urban Development Sub-Committee (THUD) released their FY 2024 Budget which slashes the normal annual General Fund appropriation for passenger rail and public transportation by 80 percent from FY 2024 authorized levels including a 92 percent cut to Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor program which includes funding that supports ALL of Virginia’s NEC Regionals.

Additional Background:

The bi-partisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act authorized $20.2 billion for passenger rail and Amtrak, $21.6 billion for public transportation, and $2 billion in National Infrastructure Investment Grants (RAISE). These authorized investments positioned our nation to finally begin modernizing our transportation infrastructure after decades of “can kicking” neglect.

While the majority of that funding is tied to Advanced Appropriations included in the IIJA or dedicated federal gas tax revenues, of the $12.4 billion in normal annual General Fund authorizations, the House THUD sub-committee CUT $10.3 billion from important programs including funding for Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor trains (-92%), Amtrak National Trains (-68%), Fed-State Partnership & CRISI passenger rail grant programs (-90%), Transit Capital Investment Grants (-87%), RAISE grants (-100%), and Transit Ferry Improvement Grant Programs (-100%).

These types of draconian cuts will put the Commonwealth’s historic and visionary Transforming Rail in Virginia program at risk by eliminating competitive federal grants that Virginia is pursuing. Additionally, the cuts to Amtrak’s Northeast and National trains will mean that ALL of Virginia’s trains will be at risk of being eliminated or suspended just as our trains are breaking ridership records every month!

Please contact your Congressperson and tell them to fully fund America’s Passenger Rail and Public Transportation programs!