Report: Overhaul Passenger Rail Through Competition, Private Investment and Targeted Infrastructure Funding

A new report calls for overhauling American passenger rail through competition, private investment and targeted infrastructure funding.

The report, “Competition Will Put Passenger Rail on the Right Track,” from the Discovery Institute proposes creating a Passenger Rail Authority to restructure the system and encourage public-private partnerships.

“What passenger rail in America needs now is competition, competition and competition—not just more government handouts,” Discovery Institute board chair Bruce Chapman said in a release.

Recommendations include separating infrastructure and operations in the Northeast Corridor, establishing a federal rail capital fund, developing a national high-speed rail plan and shifting short-distance route management to the states.

“The future of passenger rail is not about dismantling Amtrak — it’s about modernizing it and allowing private innovation to thrive alongside it,” Chambers said.

The report cites Brightline in Florida as a model for private rail success and urges leveraging infrastructure grants to spur investment and improve service quality. It was authored by Discovery Institute founder Bruce Chapman and Senior Fellow Ray Chambers, who also leads the Association for Innovative Passenger Rail Operations.