Gottheimer announces new ‘All Aboard Act’ including ‘Rail Passenger Bill of Rights’

NEW JERSEY — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) Monday announced new federal action to address the pervasive delays and cancellations impacting NJ TRANSIT service, driven by Amtrak-owned and operated rails and infrastructure.

Gottheimer will be introducing the All Aboard Act, which includes a Rail Passenger Bill of Rights that guarantees refunds to Amtrak customers and NJ TRANSIT customers impacted by Amtrak infrastructure & who experience serious delays and cancellations.

The legislation will also transform Amtrak’s “Run to Fail” infrastructure strategy, ensuring Amtrak has the funding it needs to replace infrastructure n time.

Gottheimer also called on Amtrak to deploy the infrastructure investment that he clawed back for the transit agency as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill.

Gottheimer will be meeting with Amtrak and has requested a meeting with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

Train Delays Across Jersey:

• 657 NJ TRANSIT trains were canceled in June with 415 of the cancellations, well more than half, credited to Amtrak.
  • If it weren’t for Amtrak issues, NJ TRANSIT reports that 92.3 percent of its trains would run on time.
  • Amtrak receives $100 million each year from NJ Transit to help maintain its tracks and infrastructure — on top of $6 billion they received for “State of Good Repair” maintenance investments on the Northeast Corridor Rail Line through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill.
• The vast majority of issues occur on our nation’s most important rail line, the Northeast Corridor Rail Line, which is home to a century-old tunnel and decades-old, faulty catenary wires.
• Last month, Jersey commuters were trapped on an NJTransit train for three hours due to an Amtrak infrastructure failure.

Gottheimer’s New Federal Action to Address Amtrak-Driven NJTransit Delays Includes:

• A call for Amtrak to immediately deploy the $6 billion in federal investment that Congress allocated to maintain its Northeast Corridor rail infrastructure. Earlier this summer, Gottheimer joined the entire New Jersey Congressional Delegation in a letter to Secretary Buttigieg, demanding that the Department of Transportation investigate the Amtrak malfunctions causing the breakdown in rail service. He will meet with Amtrak and has requested a meeting with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to reemphasize the importance of acting quickly.
• New legislation, the All Aboard Act, which will include a new Rail Passenger Bill of Rights to support commuters who experience delays and improve Amtrak’s infrastructure strategy. First, the bill will implement a Rail Passenger Bill of Rights that guarantees Amtrak passengers and NJ TRANSIT passengers, impacted by Amtrak delays, receive automatic, prompt, and full refunds when their trains are canceled or significantly changed by more than three hours. This is similar to the recently adopted passenger bill of rights for airlines. Second, the bill will put an end to Amtrak’s “run to fail” strategy, which does not replace infrastructure until it is well beyond its known lifespan. Amtrak will be required to produce a report on alternative maintenance strategies to Congress in the next six months and phase out their “run to fail” strategy within the next two years.

“These delays and cancellations are a headache for commuters, a real obstacle for our transit system, and frankly, a drain on our entire state. I hear from my constituents every day that something has got to give,” Gottheimer said. “Today, to help get our trains back on track, and help stop the misery for commuters and families, I’m announcing new action to help reduce the NJ TRANSIT delays. For the sake of our Jersey and our entire region, it’s time to start solving problems.”

Gottheimer said he fought for a total of $66 billion in rail investments — including $4.5 billion for Jersey public transit, specifically, and $11 billion for the Gateway Train Tunnel Project by helping craft and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill.

Gottheimer was joined by Assemblywoman Lisa Swain and Glen Rock Council President Jill Orlich.