Today, 327 representatives from Class Is, short lines, and railroad suppliers, contractors and associations will meet with more than 300 congressional offices during the annual Railroad Day on Capitol Hill.
The annual event has continued for more than 25 years. This year, lobbyists will call on Congress to:
- Maintain and extend tax policies that incentivize private investment in infrastructure, such as the 45G tax credit and corporate SALT deductions.
- Restore the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) to a user-based system and oppose increases to truck size and weight limits.
- Advance permitting reforms that provide greater transparency and predictability while ensuring timely, focused environmental reviews.
- Guarantee full and consistent funding for safety-enhancing rail grant programs, including the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI), Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) and Section 130 programs.
“In the coming weeks, Congress will be taking up FY26 Appropriations, a tax bill, and beginning to outline priorities for a Surface Transportation bill reauthorization. Railroad Day on Capitol Hill is an opportune time for our industry to put a face on the entities that their actions will impact, making connections that will be invaluable to the industry and to Congress as it considers legislation that will produce powerful outcomes for the public,” said American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association President Chuck Baker in a press release.
