AAR statement on Biden Administration infrastructure proposal

Today, President Biden announced his plan to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure and make our transportation systems more sustainable. While railroads support sensible infrastructure investment and associated efforts to address climate change, the nation’s privately owned freight railroads raised serious concerns about the administration’s initial proposal to pay for the spending.

“America’s railroads have long recognized the need for robust, sustainable funding back into the nation’s integrated transportation network,” said AAR President and CEO Ian Jefferies. “President Biden’s proposal makes clear his administration’s priority for making these much-needed investments to restore our highways, bridges and roads, and improve our ports. At the same time, mission number one is fueling an economic recovery. Railroads would urge the administration and Congress to abandon these divisive, unrelated funding sources and instead work toward bipartisan solutions to restore the Highway Trust Fund to a true user-pays system.”

Sustained by nearly $25 billion in annual capital expenditures and maintenance, the nation’s privately owned freight railroads remain top of class among the nation’s infrastructure sectors. While the freight rail industry does not face the same funding challenges as other sectors, railroads stand as ready partners to craft well-designed, viable solutions that will keep our economy and nation moving forward. The right policies can ensure a healthy, multi-modal infrastructure network and secure the sustained investment necessary to raise the grade for the nation’s infrastructure.