119-s2104

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2104 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 2104

To amend 

section 11101 of title 49, United States Code, to ensure that 
 rail carriers provide transportation or service in a manner that 
 fulfills the shipper's reasonable service requirements.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 June 18, 2025

 Ms. Baldwin (for herself and Mr. Marshall) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
 Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To amend 

section 11101 of title 49, United States Code, to ensure that 
 rail carriers provide transportation or service in a manner that 
 fulfills the shipper's reasonable service requirements.

 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 ``Reliable Rail Service Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. COMMON CARRIER TRANSPORTATION.

 

Section 11101 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--

    (1) in subsection

    (a) --
        (A) by inserting ``

    (1) '' after ``

    (a) '';
        (B) by inserting ``, in a manner that meets the 
 shipper's need for timely, efficient, and reliable rail 
 service and fulfills the shipper's reasonable service 
 requirements'' after ``on reasonable request''; and
            (C) by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (2) In determining whether a rail carrier has violated this 
section with respect to the provision of reasonable transportation 
service and the ability of the rail carrier to meet its obligations 
under this section, the Board shall consider--
 ``
        (A) the impacts of reductions or changes in the frequency 
 of transportation or service, and the availability and 
 maintenance of reasonable local service schedules and delivery 
 windows, on the provision of reasonable transportation service;
 ``
        (B) the impacts of reductions in employment levels, 
 including--
 ``
            (i) reductions in clerical, customer service, 
 maintenance, dispatch and train and engine service 
 employees;
 ``
            (ii) reductions or changes in train or yard crew 
 availability; and
 ``
            (iii) the consolidation or shifting of crews 
 across or within service territories;
 ``
            (C) the impacts of reductions in equipment and the 
 availability of equipment, maintenance of equipment or railroad 
 infrastructure, lines and yards, or shifting of equipment 
 across or within service territories or customer and commodity 
 groups;
 ``
            (D) whether the service reasonably meets the local 
 operational and service requirements of the person requesting 
 transportation or service that are consistent with the person's 
 needs and requirements for the efficient and reliable receipt, 
 transportation and delivery of property;
 ``
        (E) the transportation needs or circumstances of the 
 person requesting transportation or service based upon previous 
 service experience and taking into account any physical or 
 operational limitations or restrictions at a facility or 
 location;
 ``
        (F) the commitment of the person requesting 
 transportation or service of equipment or other resources to 
 support the transportation or service;
 ``
        (G) whether any conditions imposed by the rail carrier as 
 requirements for service are required to meet the local service 
 requirements of the person requesting service or permit the 
 rail carrier to recover its variable cost of providing the 
 requested transportation or service;
 ``
        (H) how the carrier is handling equipment owned by 
 others; and
 ``
            (I) whether conditions imposed by the rail carrier as 
 requirements for service, including demurrage, are reasonably 
 reciprocated to meet the service requirements of the person 
 requesting service.'';

    (2) in subsection

    (b) , in the matter preceding paragraph

    (1) , by striking ``terms.'' and inserting ``terms, including 
 reasonable transit or cycle times and other service standards, 
 as requested, consistent with the needs and requirements of the 
 person on whose behalf the request is made for the efficient 
 and reliable receipt, transportation, and delivery of 
 property.''; and

    (3) by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (g) Any proceeding initiated to consider a rail carrier's alleged 
violation of this section shall be expedited by the Board, and 
completed not later than 180 days after the initiation of the 
proceeding. Any proceeding initiated to obtain service terms under 
subsection

    (b) shall be completed not later than 45 days after the 
initiation of the proceeding.
 ``

    (h) The provisions under 

section 11701 shall apply to a 
determination whether a rail carrier has violated this section. In 
addition to the remedies provided in such section, if the Board 
determines that a rail carrier has violated this section by failing to 
provide transportation or service on reasonable request, the Board 
shall prescribe reasonable transit or cycle times or other service 
standards to be established to deliver property consistent with the 
needs and requirements of the person making the request.''.
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