According to FRA, grant funding will “assist with operating costs for eligible projects that will establish service on new routes, restore service on routes that formerly had intercity passenger operations, and enhance service on existing routes.” These passenger rail upgrades will “complement the dozens of major rail projects that are underway across the country and improve the intercity passenger rail network, thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” the agency said.
The R&E Program covers an array of expenses up to the first six years of service for newly initiated, restored, or enhanced passenger rail operations while the services “build their ridership and revenue base and bolster their long-term potential.” These expenses include operating costs, such as staffing costs for train crew members; station costs, such as ticket sales, customer information, and train dispatching services; train yard operations costs; routine planned maintenance costs of equipment and train cleaning costs; marketing costs; and administrative costs, among other expenses. By expanding the availability of passenger rail and providing riders with high-quality services, the R&E Program also “encourages a modal shift to safe and environmentally friendly transportation options,” FRA noted.
“The quality of our intercity passenger rail services has a major impact not only on the experiences of millions of riders but also on the economic vitality of our communities as well as our efforts to combat climate change,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Safer, more frequent, and more accessible passenger rail services—made possible with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—will expand travel and commuting options, creating newly efficient and sustainable opportunities to get around the country.”
The NOFO is available in today’s edition of the Federal Register. Applications for funding are due 75 days after the publication date. R&E Program requirements, as well as the evaluation and selection criteria for grant selections, are outlined in the NOFO. FRA will also support potential applicants with live technical assistance prior to the deadline.
More information about the R&E Program can be found here.
