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Build a 21st Century High-Speed Rail Network in the U.S. and Canada
With a proper high speed rail network, transporting people and goods can be significantly greener and more convenient. Transportation accounts for nearly 30% of greenhouse gas emissions in both the United States and Canada,322 and expanding rail service can significantly lower the sector’s footprint. IAM members build and maintain locomotives for both Amtrak and
317 Alternative Fuels Data Center, “Renewable Diesel.”
319 The White House.
320 Alternative Fuels Data Center, “Renewable Diesel.”
321 The Stand. (2024, April 17). Climate Jobs Washington hails legislative wins. The Stand.
several major rail carriers. The IAM is already a core member of the multi-union High Speed Rail Coalition, and with the right strategy, the IAM can become the United States’ “High Speed Rail Union.”
First, the IAM can help expand passenger rail. In the US, Amtrak has seen an infusion of $22 billion through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.323 Other public and private investments can also fund construction to expand fleets, improve connectivity, and create good jobs. In 2023, the High Speed Rail Coalition secured a landmark agreement with Brightline to construct a high- speed rail system connecting Las Vegas and Southern California. A multi-union coalition secured a Memorandum of Understanding that commits the developer Brightline to employing union members under project labor agreements as a condition of receiving a $3 billion federal grant from the IIJA.324 The IAM also forged a Voluntary Recognition Agreement with Siemens Mobility, the company that will manufacture locomotives for high-speed rail projects including Brightline West. Thousands of workers will build and maintain the new line.
While moving to expand our rail network, policymakers can maximize climate, community, and economic benefits by prioritizing rail decarbonization and various safety measures. Many trains currently run on diesel, which results in carbon emissions and other pollutants that can harm communities and rail workers. Decarbonizing both passenger and freight rail can significantly cut emissions.
Additionally, many industry employment practices have negative effects on rail workers. As previously mentioned, precision scheduled railroading, or PSR, entails consolidating freight loads into trains that can stretch for miles, all while reducing the number of workers assigned to run and maintain locomotives. Regulations to reverse PSR practices are overdue and essential as railroaders adapt to worsening climate-related hazards.
The climate crisis calls for an accelerated buildout of the U.S. rail network. Investment and incentives attached to labor standards can ensure that this work creates high-quality, union jobs. Railroad revitalization is also an exciting opportunity for the IAM to recruit young workers into family-sustaining careers.