H.R. 769 — All Aboard Act

This section establishes in new 49 U.S.C. §24324 a right for passengers to receive full refunds of fares for covered rail passenger transportation (i.e., Amtrak services or commuter rail over Amtrak-owned tracks) that is canceled or delayed more than 3 hours due to Amtrak's failure (excluding uncontrollable causes), directing the Secretary of Transportation to issue implementing regulations not later than 180 days after enactment that include causation determinations and dispute procedures. Refunds must be issued in the purchaser's original form of payment—within 7 days for credit/voucher purchases if undisputed, or promptly after final determination if disputed—with Amtrak reimbursing other rail carriers and ineligible for Federal funds during any period of noncompliance; the requirements apply in any fiscal year Amtrak receives Federal funds. This section further directs Amtrak to submit a report not later than 6 months after enactment to specified congressional committees identifying alternative asset maintenance strategies to the run-to-fail model (i.e., retiring assets only when they can no longer function or exceed manufacturer lifespan) with estimated implementation costs, bans the run-to-fail model after 2 years, and requires adoption of a new strategy within 2 years.