Railroad Rehabilitation Improvement Financing

Booker/Wicker bill thickens passenger rail funding mix

U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) introduced the “Railroad Reform, Enhancement, and Efficiency Act” on June 19, 2015. The senators say the bill is written to “improve passenger rail safety, reauthorize Amtrak services and improve existing rail infrastructure.”

A&M refinances locomotives with RRIF loan

In 2013, the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad (A&M) substantially improved its locomotive fleet by acquiring three EMD SD70AC3 road units. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on May 29, 2015 issued a $6.8 million Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) loan to the A&M for refinancing the locomotives.

Perspective: Refining RRIF to include commuter rail

Famed French writer Victor Hugo said, “There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world, and that is an idea whose time has come.” Repurposing the Railroad Rehabilitation Improvement Financing program (RRIF) is an idea whose time has come.