FARE Act

The Forging Ahead on Rail Electrification Act (FARE Act) would require the Chair of the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to establish an advisory committee on rail electrification. The committee’s job is to study barriers to electrifying rail and identify research and development needs to overcome those barriers. Its membership would include a balanced mix of stakeholders such as passenger and freight railroads, electric utilities, equipment manufacturers, state governments, and relevant federal agencies. The STB would provide a formal 2-year study and recommendations, with biennial updates to Congress, and the advisory committee would terminate 10 years after enactment.