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104 D. Rules Published by the American Association of Railroads 587 Also relevant to the regulation of railroad equipment safety are rules published by the American Association of Railroads (AAR):478 the Office Manual of the AAR Interchange Rules479 and the Field Manual of the AAR Interchange Rules.480 XXV. HIGH-SPEED RAIL 588 A. Introduction 588 Federal law authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to âlead and coordinate federal effortsâ to âfoster the implementation ofâ¦high-speed steel wheel on rail transportation systems.â481 Sections B and C discuss, respectively, the development of high-speed rail and funding provided by ARRA. Sections D and E summarize articles that address what is needed for the development of high-speed rail and the current level of reportedly insufficient funding. Statutes 588 B. Development of High-Speed Rail 588 The Secretary may award contracts and grants and establish related national programs for demonstrations to determine the contribution of high-speed rail to more efficient ground transportation systems482 and has a statutory obligation to âsubmit to Congress a study of the commercial feasibilityâ of high-speed ground transportation systems.483 C. Funding by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 589 In 2009, Congress enacted ARRA, which specifically provided $8 billion in funding for passenger rail capital projects with priority given to the development of intercity high-speed rail.484 478 The AARâs members include most of the large and small freight railroads in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. 479 Association of American Railroads, Office Manual of the AAR Interchange Rules (2015). 480 Association of American Railroads, Field Manual of Interchange Rules (2015). 481 49 U.S.C. § 309(a) (2014). 482 49 U.S.C. §§ 309(b) and (c) (2014). 483 49 U.S.C. §§ 309(d) and (e) (2014). 484 111 Pub. L. No. 5, 123 Stat. 115 (2009); see 26 U.S.C. § 1 note (2014).