H.R. 2515: American Tank Car Modernization Act of 2025
This bill, known as the American Tank Car Modernization Act of 2025, proposes to create a grant program primarily aimed at improving the safety and efficiency of freight railcars through technology. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the bill’s key components:
Grant Program Establishment
The bill mandates the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to establish a grant program that provides funds to eligible freight railcar owners or operators. The funding is intended for two specific purposes:
- To purchase and install onboard freight railcar telematics systems.
- To purchase and install onboard freight railcar gateway devices.
Eligible Entities
The entities eligible for these grants are specifically freight railcar owners.
Use of Funds
Grants can be used for technologies that enhance data collection and visibility related to freight railcar operations, including:
- Near real-time tracking of freight railcar locations and asset health.
- Improved safety monitoring of commodities inside railcars.
- Future capabilities of monitoring various metrics such as:
- Railcar impacts.
- Wheel temperatures and conditions.
- Status of hand brakes and hatches.
- Internal railcar temperature.
- Enhanced efficiency in the use of railcars.
- Reduction in reliance on manual data capture, which can be prone to errors.
- Development of alerts for rail operators regarding mechanical issues.
Grant Selection Priority
When selecting grant recipients, priority will be given based on the following criteria:
- Newly manufactured freight railcars produced in approved facilities.
- Railcars undergoing certification events in such facilities.
- Railcars in maintenance or "shopping" events in approved facilities.
Freight Car Type Priority
The bill also specifies prioritization for different types of freight railcars, focusing on:
- Tank cars carrying toxic inhalation or poisonous materials.
- Tank cars in flammable service (Classes I, II, and III).
- Tank cars used for hazardous materials.
- Specialized tank cars.
- Other general freight railcars.
Implementation Report
Within three years of the bill's enactment, the Secretary of Transportation is required to provide a report to Congress detailing:
- The number of railcars equipped with telematics.
- The costs associated with equipping these railcars.
- The safety incidents reported.
- Anecdotal experiences from grant recipients.
- Any legislative recommendations based on the program’s findings.
Funding Authorization
The bill authorizes $100 million annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2029 for the grant program. Additionally, it sets aside $10 million annually for a pilot program aimed at developing onboard sensor technologies to enhance freight railcar safety.
Additional Pilot Program
A pilot program will assist freight railcar owners and manufacturers in developing onboard sensor technologies. This program aims to provide detailed visibility into the conditions and safety of freight rail assets and include various monitoring capabilities as previously mentioned.
Compliance and Definitions
Fleet railcars and any sensitive technologies must comply with existing federal regulations. The bill also clearly defines key terms, such as "onboard freight railcar telematics systems," "gateway devices," and outlines their functions and purposes within freight rail operations.
Relevant Companies
- UNP - Union Pacific Corporation: As a major freight railroad operator, Union Pacific could benefit from enhanced operational efficiencies and improved safety measures for their railcar fleet if this grant program stimulates the adoption of the proposed technologies.
- CSX - CSX Corporation: Similar to Union Pacific, CSX, another key player in the freight transportation industry, may see operational improvements and potential cost savings through the modernization of their railcar fleet driven by technology funded by this bill.
- GE - General Electric: GE has historically engaged in providing locomotives and other rail technologies and could see increased demand for their systems and services as rail operators upgrade their telematics capabilities.
This is an AI-generated summary of the bill text. There may be mistakes.
Sponsors
2 bill sponsors
Actions
2 actions
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| Mar. 31, 2025 | Introduced in House |
| Mar. 31, 2025 | Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. |
Corporate Lobbying
1 company lobbying
