BIL, PTC system performance, Section 22414

H. R. 3684—316
power in connection with such contracts or agreements, for terms
not to exceed 20 years, to enable the use of the land at the Transportation Technology Center for projects to produce energy from renewable sources.’’.
SEC. 22413. RAIL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER OF EXCELLENCE.

Section 20108 of title 49, United States Code, as amended
by section 22412, is further amended by adding at the end the
following:
‘‘(j) RAIL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER OF EXCELLENCE.—
‘‘(1) CENTER OF EXCELLENCE.—The Secretary shall award
grants to establish and maintain a center of excellence to
advance research and development that improves the safety,
efficiency, and reliability of passenger and freight rail transportation.
‘‘(2) ELIGIBILITY.—An institution of higher education (as
defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1001)) or a consortium of nonprofit institutions of
higher education shall be eligible to receive a grant from the
center established pursuant to paragraph (1).
‘‘(3) SELECTION CRITERIA.—In awarding a grant under this
subsection, the Secretary shall—
‘‘(A) give preference to applicants with strong past
performance related to rail research, education, and
workforce development activities;
‘‘(B) consider the extent to which the applicant would
involve public and private sector passenger and freight
railroad operators; and
‘‘(C) consider the regional and national impacts of the
applicant’s proposal.
‘‘(4) USE OF FUNDS.—Grant funds awarded pursuant to
this subsection shall be used for basic and applied research,
evaluation, education, workforce development, and training
efforts related to safety, project delivery, efficiency, reliability,
resiliency, and sustainability of urban commuter, intercity highspeed, and freight rail transportation, to include advances in
rolling stock, advanced positive train control, human factors,
rail infrastructure, shared corridors, grade crossing safety,
inspection technology, remote sensing, rail systems maintenance, network resiliency, operational reliability, energy efficiency, and other advanced technologies.
‘‘(5) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of a grant
awarded under this subsection shall be 50 percent of the cost
of establishing and operating the center of excellence and
related research activities carried out by the grant recipient.’’.
SEC. 22414. QUARTERLY REPORT ON POSITIVE TRAIN CONTROL
SYSTEM PERFORMANCE.

Section 20157 of title 49, United States Code, is amended
by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(m) REPORTS ON POSITIVE TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEM PERFORMANCE.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each host railroad subject to this section
or subpart I of part 236 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations,
shall electronically submit to the Secretary of Transportation
a Report of PTC System Performance on Form FRA F 6180.152,

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which shall be submitted on or before the applicable due date
set forth in paragraph (3) and contain the information described
in paragraph (2), which shall be separated by the host railroad,
each applicable tenant railroad, and each positive train controlgoverned track segment, consistent with the railroad’s positive
train control Implementation Plan described in subsection
(a)(1).
‘‘(2) REQUIRED INFORMATION.—Each report submitted
pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include, for the applicable
reporting period—
‘‘(A) the number of positive train control system
initialization failures, disaggregated by the number of
initialization failures for which the source or cause was
the onboard subsystem, the wayside subsystem, the
communications subsystem, the back office subsystem, or
a non-positive train control component;
‘‘(B) the number of positive train control system cut
outs, disaggregated by each component listed in subparagraph (A) that was the source or cause of such cut outs;
‘‘(C) the number of positive train control system malfunctions, disaggregated by each component listed in
subparagraph (A) that was the source or cause of such
malfunctions;
‘‘(D) the number of enforcements by the positive train
control system;
‘‘(E) the number of enforcements by the positive train
control system in which it is reasonable to assume an
accident or incident was prevented;
‘‘(F) the number of scheduled attempts at initialization
of the positive train control system;
‘‘(G) the number of train miles governed by the positive
train control system; and
‘‘(H) a summary of any actions the host railroad and
its tenant railroads are taking to reduce the frequency
and rate of initialization failures, cut outs, and malfunctions, such as any actions to correct or eliminate systemic
issues and specific problems.
‘‘(3) DUE DATES.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subparagraph
(B), each host railroad shall electronically submit the report
required under paragraph (1) not later than—
‘‘(i) April 30, for the period from January 1 through
March 31;
‘‘(ii) July 31, for the period from April 1 through
June 30;
‘‘(iii) October 31, for the period from July 1 through
September 30; and
‘‘(iv) January 31, for the period from October 1
through December 31 of the prior calendar year.
‘‘(B) FREQUENCY REDUCTION.—Beginning on the date
that is 3 years after the date of enactment of the Passenger
Rail Expansion and Rail Safety Act of 2021, the Secretary
shall reduce the frequency with which host railroads are
required to submit the report described in paragraph (1)
to not less frequently than twice per year, unless the Secretary—

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‘‘(i) determines that quarterly reporting is in the
public interest; and
‘‘(ii) publishes a justification for such determination in the Federal Register.
‘‘(4) TENANT RAILROADS.—Each tenant railroad that operates on a host railroad’s positive train control-governed main
line and is not currently subject to an exception under section
236.1006(b) of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, shall
submit the information described in paragraph (2) to each
applicable host railroad on a continuous basis.
‘‘(5) ENFORCEMENTS.—Any railroad operating a positive
train control system classified under Federal Railroad Administration Type Approval number FRA–TA–2010–001 or FRA–
TA–2013–003 shall begin submitting the metric required under
paragraph (2)(D) not later than January 31, 2023.’’.
SEC. 22415. SPEED LIMIT ACTION PLANS.

(a) CODIFICATION OF, AND AMENDMENT TO, SECTION 11406 OF
FAST ACT.—Subchapter II of chapter 201 of subtitle V of
title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section
20168 the following:

THE

‘‘§ 20169. Speed limit action plans
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than March 3, 2016, each railroad
carrier providing intercity rail passenger transportation or commuter rail passenger transportation, in consultation with any
applicable host railroad carrier, shall survey its entire system and
identify each main track location where there is a reduction of
more than 20 miles per hour from the approach speed to a curve,
bridge, or tunnel and the maximum authorized operating speed
for passenger trains at that curve, bridge, or tunnel.
‘‘(b) ACTION PLANS.—Not later than 120 days after the date
that the survey under subsection (a) is complete, a railroad carrier
described in subsection (a) shall submit to the Secretary of
Transportation an action plan that—
‘‘(1) identifies each main track location where there is
a reduction of more than 20 miles per hour from the approach
speed to a curve, bridge, or tunnel and the maximum authorized
operating speed for passenger trains at that curve, bridge,
or tunnel;
‘‘(2) describes appropriate actions to enable warning and
enforcement of the maximum authorized speed for passenger
trains at each location identified under paragraph (1),
including—
‘‘(A) modification to automatic train control systems,
if applicable, or other signal systems;
‘‘(B) increased crew size;
‘‘(C) installation of signage alerting train crews of the
maximum authorized speed for passenger trains in each
location identified under paragraph (1);
‘‘(D) installation of alerters;
‘‘(E) increased crew communication; and
‘‘(F) other practices;
‘‘(3) contains milestones and target dates for implementing
each appropriate action described under paragraph (2); and
‘‘(4) ensures compliance with the maximum authorized
speed at each location identified under paragraph (1).