Install
American Tank Car Modernization Act of 2025
To provide for a grant program for adoption of certain telematics systems onboard freight railcars, and for other purposes.
- Introduced
- Committee
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To President
- Became law
Summary
American Tank Car Modernization Act of 2025
This bill establishes new Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) pilot and grant programs to outfit tank railcars with onboard sensors capable of delivering real-time safety-related condition data while a train is in motion.
Specifically, the FRA must establish a grant program for freight railcar owners or operators to purchase and install (1) onboard freight railcar telematics systems (for wirelessly communicating a railcar's location and health), or (2) onboard freight railcar gateway devices (for collecting and exchanging data between railcar devices, including monitoring and telematics systems).
In selecting grant recipients, the FRA must prioritize installation of these systems or devices in newly built tank railcars and by the type of load carried, starting with tank cars in TIH/PIH (toxic or poison inhalation hazard) service.
In addition, the FRA must establish a pilot program to
- assist freight railcar owners and manufacturers in the development of onboard sensor technologies in order to add visibility to the safety of freight railcars, and
- encourage development of freight railcar onboard sensors that communicate to the freight railcar onboard gateway devices to offer future capabilities of real-time visibility (e.g., wheel and wheel bearing temperature).
Summary by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.
Actions
- Mar 31, 2025 Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
- Mar 31, 2025 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.
- Mar 31, 2025 Introduced in House
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