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Rail Motive Power Source Integration Act of 2026
To require the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration to establish a pilot program relating to integrating the use of multiple power sources into the rail system, and for other purposes.
Summary
This bill requires the Federal Railroad Administration to establish a pilot program to research and develop ways to integrate multiple power sources into the rail system, including battery, electrification, hydrogen, and diesel technologies. The program will research challenges related to implementing these technologies and develop rail car designs that can switch between different power sources during operation. The bill also requires the FRA to conduct a study identifying locations where trains currently need to be changed because their power source is incompatible with that section of track. The FRA must report the results of the pilot program and study to Congress within one year of the bill's enactment. The goal is to improve flexibility in rail operations by allowing trains to use different power sources across different sections of track.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
3 cosponsors
Actions (2)
- Jun 8, 2026 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. · house
- Jun 8, 2026 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
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Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 8, 2026
Mr. Beyer (for himself, Mrs. Foushee, and Mr. Soto) introduced the following bill; which was 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
A BILL
To require the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration to establish a pilot program relating to integrating the use of multiple power sources into the rail system, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Rail Motive Power Source Integration Act of 2026”.
SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON INTEGRATING USE OF MULTIPLE MOTIVE POWER SOURCES INTO RAIL SYSTEM.
(a) In General.—The Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration shall establish a pilot program to improve the ease of rotating between multiple motive power sources during operation within the passenger and freight rail systems.
(b) Requirements.—In carrying out the pilot program established under subsection (a), the Administrator shall—
(1) research—
(A) the integration of the use of multiple different or new rail technologies or motive power sources such as battery, electrification, hydrogen, and diesel into the rail system; and
(B) any challenges relating to implementing such technologies, including cost or additional land requirements;
(2) develop rail car designs that facilitate rotation between multiple power sources, which may include different rail electrification systems; and
(3) perform demonstration projects to test the feasibility of integrating such designs into the rail system.
(c) Study.—The Administrator shall conduct a study to identify each location at which a train must be changed during operation within the passenger and freight rail systems because such train uses a power source that is inoperable in the rail system past such location.
(d) Report.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall provide to Congress a report describing the results of the pilot program established under subsection (a) and the study conducted under subsection (c). <all>
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