WASHINGTON – As Thanksgiving travelers prepared for major traffic congestion and crowded airports, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine joined a bipartisan group of senators in introducing legislation to revitalize America’s rail system.

The congestion on America’s highways and in its airports is in many respects the result of successful, long-term, public investments in the related infrastructure, the senators said, but there has not been an equivalent investment in the nation’s rail system.

They said their American Railroad Revitalization, Investment and Enhancement Act (ARRIVE 21), introduced Tuesday evening, would provide the policy framework to do that.

The legislation calls for a 6-year, $42 billion investment in U.S. rail infrastructure and service to expand high-speed passenger rail in congested corridors, strengthen Amtrak, improve freight mobility, and better balance the nation’s transportation system.

And for the first time, it puts rail on par with the nation’s highway and aviation infrastructure by creating a guaranteed, rail-specific funding source, the senators said.

ARRIVE 21 creates a nonprofit, public-private partnership – the Rail Infrastructure Finance Corporation, or RIFCO – to issue $30 billion in tax-credit bonds over 6 years to fund rail infrastructure development.

It authorizes RIFCO to award discretionary capital grants to states and Amtrak for high-speed rail and intercity passenger rail projects. The bill also authorizes formula grants to all states for freight rail capital projects that benefit the public.

“ARRIVE 21 will strengthen passenger and freight rail service in the Northeast,” said Collins. “It gives states more flexibility in distributing funding among their different rail priorities.

“In Maine, ARRIVE 21 will help the state to maintain and expand the new Downeaster passenger rail service between Portland and Boston with greater efficiency.”

The bill has been referred to the Senate Commerce Committee.

Introducing the bill with Collins were U.S. Sens. Fritz Hollings, D-S.C.; Tom Carper, D-Del.; Arlen Specter, R-Penn.; Jim Jeffords, Independent- Vermont; and Joe Biden, D-Del.