“Passenger Rail Liability Adjustment Act of 2025”
HR 5697, introduced by Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX)

Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) has introduced HR 5697 to give railroads 90 days to implement the adjusted excess liability cap in 2026.

House Railroads Subcommittee Ranking Member, Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) has co-sponsored the bill along with Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA).

CRC is also lining up advance support in the Senate Commerce Committee and requests that communications be directed to Senator Cruz and Paul Wasik of the committee’s majority staff. Members' offices can also reach out to Michael Davisson on the minority committee staff.

Presented by a panel that includes some of the smartest minds on an issue vexing passenger railroads, the second module of the 2025 Passenger Rail Law Workshop is titled Swimming Out of the Deep End: Insurance Pools and Liability Caps for Passenger Rail.

Scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday, October 30, the session will be led by Kaplan Kirsch’s John Putnam. Find details on the full series of webinars and register here.

Do not be dissuaded if the registration page asks for a log-in. It can be bypassed by clicking on the event header.

SUMMIT COUNTDOWN BEGINS

There are just two weeks left to register for the 2025 Commuter Rail Summit.

And one week left to book your hotel room and secure the best rates on Capitol Hill. The Summit hotel block closes next Friday, October 17. The Summit headquarters hotel is the Yotel on Capitol Hill (formerly The Liaison), a modern-concept property with rates we have negotiated to $299/night.

Change of Plans? A 50% administrative fee applies for Summit cancellations received after today. Or, transfer your registration to a colleague at no cost through October 24.

WHAT WE’RE READING

• Virginia Railway Express Reaches 100 Million Rider Milestone (Patch)

• Virginia Railway Express serves 100 millionth rider (Progressive Railroading)

• Trinity Metro celebrates exceeding 8 MILLION RIDES for FY2025 (LinkedIn)

• How Boston transit leaders fixed a failing transit system (Smart Cities Dive)

• Confirmed: David Armstrong Fink as Federal Railroad Administrator (Railway Age)

• SEPTA GM Scott Sauer outlines his vision for SEPTA’s future (LinkedIn)

• Caltrain to be Paid for Clean Power Returned to the Grid (Caltrain News)

• Commuter Rail Recovers From COVID, With New Scheduling, Tech (Government Technology)

• Gatekeeper Systems to become OEM transit video and data solutions provider to Alstom (Mass Transit)

• MOULTON, NEHLS INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN BILL TO SUPPORT PASSENGER AND COMMUTER RAIL SYSTEMS (Insurance NewsNet)

• Op-ed: How the MTA’s new commuter train cars move all of New York forward (Crain’s New York Business)

• Charlotte’s rail plan: How much of it can the new sales tax build? (Transit Time)

  AND LISTENING TO:

• Spilling the T - an MBTA Podcast: From Baltimore to Boston with special guest Holly Arnold, Administrator - Maryland Transit Administration (MBTA)