Federal Assistance To Rehabilitate Railroads Should Be Reassessed

GAO undertook an appraisal of how the Department of Transportation has administered Federal assistance to railroads under the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976. When Congress passed the Act authorizing $1.6 billion for two programs to help the Nation's railroads overcome deferred maintenance, it expected the funds to be used up quickly. But 4 years later, much of the program authority was unused, and there seems to be little remaining interest in assistance solely to overcome deferred maintenance.