Today, Senator Ed Markey introduced the “All Aboard Act 2024,” a transformative bill that would provide funding for states to build out new passenger rail corridors, purchase electric locomotives, install electric infrastructure, and provide workforce development and training to support America’s rail workforce. The bill sets the goal of achieving entirely zero-emissions locomotives by 2047, with the interim goals of converting 50% of all trains by 2030 and all new trains by 2035.

“The All Aboard Act of 2024 sets the stage for what the zero-emissions rail future could look like, and this future looks a lot brighter,” said Yasmine Agelidis, attorney on Earthjustice’s Right to Zero campaign. “Old diesel locomotives are some of the worst offenders when it comes to health-harming air pollution, spewing toxins into our air that can lead to asthma, heart issues, and cancer. By upgrading rail lines across the country with all-electric options, we can improve transportation and mobility for millions of Americans while cleaning our air. We thank Senator Markey for his leadership in modernizing American rail.”

While electric rail is the norm around much of the world and has been for decades, the U.S. has electrified a mere 1% of its rail system. The funding in the All Aboard Act would provide a welcome overhaul to an industry that has been at a standstill for the last century. Electric rail trains are faster and more efficient than their diesel counterparts, and the U.S. won’t be able to upgrade to a high-speed rail train system without also electrifying its systems. CalTrain, a commuter rail line headquartered in San Francisco, has already seen success in the shift — since making the switch to all-electric this year, ridership has soared 17%.

The legislation would also reboot a waning industry in the U.S., where locomotive manufacturing has dwindled and companies are increasingly using trucks for freight transport. The legislation would require projects that receive funding to use project labor agreements and hire from local communities. It would create Passenger and Freight Rail Workforce Training Centers, positioning the U.S. as a rail manufacturing hub while simultaneously protecting existing jobs in the industry.

“The United Electrical Workers represents thousands of workers in the rail industry — both those who manufacture locomotives and parts, and rail crew drivers who work in over-polluted rail yards across the U.S.,” said Tommy Carden, UE Green Locomotive Project Coordinator. “With federal support through the All Aboard Act, the railroads must step up and make necessary investments required to cut rail pollution, clean up our communities, and create good union jobs right here in the U.S.”

This bill is being introduced on the heels of a newly published action plan from the Department of Energy (DOE) detailing how the U.S. can eliminate rail emissions by electrifying the national network by 2050, sending another clear signal that the future of rail is electric. The blueprint recommends immediate efforts to deploy zero-emission solutions in rail yards adjacent to communities, feasibility studies of electric locomotive technologies, and the establishment of ambitious research and development programs and infrastructure planning efforts. Implementing DOE’s action plan would expand overall access to rail in the U.S. and increase grid resilience for communities across America.

Sen. Markey’s bill and DOE’s action plan offer a long-term vision for the U.S. rail system and lay the tracks for a truly modern and clean rail system that the country so desperately needs.