Congress strips Amtrak's rail priority near ports, favoring freight operators

What it does

This bill amends federal law to remove Amtrak's preference for using rail lines, junctions, and crossings within 50 miles of ports or rail yards, allowing freight trains to have equal or priority access in those zones. The change benefits freight rail operators and port logistics by reducing Amtrak's scheduling flexibility near major cargo hubs, potentially delaying or rerouting passenger trains.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is a narrow geographic carve-out that strips Amtrak of statutory preference in zones where freight and passenger rail compete for the same infrastructure. The title 'Freights First Act' accurately describes the functional effect — it is not misdirection, but it is openly self-serving to freight operators.

What the text implies

• Amtrak may be forced to negotiate access or accept longer, less efficient routes in the 50-mile zones around major ports and rail yards, increasing operational costs and potentially leading to service cuts or fare increases for passengers.
• The 50-mile radius is a broad geographic band that covers many urban and suburban areas where ports and rail yards cluster, potentially affecting a large portion of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and other high-traffic routes.
• Freight operators gain a competitive advantage without having to invest in new infrastructure or negotiate directly with Amtrak — the preference shift is imposed by statute, not market competition.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

Ordinary citizens who rely on Amtrak for intercity or commuter rail travel face reduced service reliability, longer travel times, and potential route changes as freight trains gain priority access to shared infrastructure near ports and rail yards. Freight operators and port logistics benefit at the direct expense of passenger rail users.

Who stands to gain

• freight rail operators
• Class I railroads (BNSF, Union Pacific, CSX, Norfolk Southern)
• port authorities and logistics companies
• intermodal shipping operators

Named in the bill

Amtrak, freight rail operators, Class I railroads, ports, rail yards, 49 U.S.C. § 24308(c)

Where it stands

2 cosponsors: 2 Republicans.

• Jul 25, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jul 25, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

2 lobbying clients named this bill on 3 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Sep 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $1,703,827 in lobbying spend. A filing names 38 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 41% of bills with at least one filing.

Eric Burlison, the sponsor, reported $292,530 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Bnsf Railway Company — $960,000 on 1 filing
• Int'l Ass'n of Sheet Metal Air Rail & Transp Workers Transp Div — $743,827 on 2 filings

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.