S. 5294 — Keeping China Off the Rails Act of 2026

This section defines Department of Defense cargo as goods moved by rail arranged for or on behalf of the Armed Forces. It establishes phased requirements for railroad freight cars transporting such cargo, limiting application of the restrictions on components and sensitive technology from countries of concern to cars produced in the prior 2 years (first year after enactment), 5 years (second year), 10 years (third year), and 15 years (fourth year), with all cars subject to the restrictions thereafter, and exempts cars used for clandestine shipments or where the owner received no advance notice.