This bill allows Amtrak to sue freight railroads directly in federal court to enforce its legal right to priority use of rail lines over freight trains. Under existing law since 1973, Amtrak passenger trains are supposed to have preference over freight trains on shared rail networks, but the bill's sponsors argue that many freight railroads have ignored this requirement, causing significant delays to passengers and wasting millions in taxpayer dollars. The bill cites data showing that when enforcement mechanisms have been available, Amtrak's on-time performance improved dramatically and freight interference delays dropped substantially, but currently only the U.S. Attorney General can enforce these preference rights, and historically has done so only once since Amtrak's creation in 1971. The legislation would give Amtrak independent authority to bring civil actions in U.S. District Court while preserving the Attorney General's existing enforcement authority, enabling better oversight of host railroads' compliance with passenger rail preferences.
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