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October 1, 2024|Regulatory

FRA: More Than $1B in Funding Available for Non-NEC Passenger Rail Projects

Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
(FRA image)
(FRA image)
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on Oct. 1 issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcing the availability of more than $1 billion in funding to expand and modernize intercity passenger rail nationwide through the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program for projects not located on the Northeast Corridor (Fed- State National Program).

This new funding, provided through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), builds on $8.2 billion in grants announced last December for 10 passenger rail projects across the country, including the first high-speed rail projects in the country’s history, as the Biden-Harris Administration continues to fund projects that will “deliver the world-class passenger rail service Americans deserve.”

In addition to supporting new high-speed rail service in California’s Central Valley and the Brightline West High-Speed Rail project connecting Las Vegas, Nev., and southern California, FRA is funding upgrades to frequently traveled rail corridors in Virginia, North Carolina, and the District of Columbia, as well as upgrades and capacity expansions at Chicago Union Station in Illinois, one of the Nation’s busiest rail hubs. In total, BIL includes a historic $66 billion specifically focused on rail projects, the largest investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak. See a map that shows corridors identified for future federal investment here. 

Eligible projects under the Fed-State National Program include projects that “expand or establish new intercity passenger and high-speed rail service, improve the performance of existing service, and/or replace or rehabilitate rail infrastructure.” Projects improving intercity passenger rail safety, reliability, performance, including any associated project planning elements—such as environmental review and final design—are all eligible for funding, FRA noted.

Thanks to funding in President Biden’s BIL, FRA announced more than $28 billion in grant awards to nearly 170 rail projects across the country last year. Including today’s announcement, the Biden-Harris Administration, FRA says, has now made available more than $6.4 billion this year in infrastructure law funding across multiple grant programs, including the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program, Railroad Crossing Elimination Program, and Fed-State Northeast Corridor (NEC) Program. “These funds are vital for improving and expanding America’s freight and passenger rail networks, increasing safety in communities across the country, reducing greenhouse emissions, and creating good-paying jobs,” FRA noted.

“The funding we’re announcing today will help add new train routes and improve existing train lines across the country—another important step the Biden-Harris administration is taking to deliver world-class rail to Americans,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

The NOFO is available on FRA’s website and on www.Grants.gov. Applications are due no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 16, 2024, and FRA will provide technical assistance to potential applicants prior to the deadline. More information about the Partnership Program can be found here.