Dive Brief:
- The Federal Railroad Administration is making more than $1 billion available to states, counties, cities and other public entities for efforts to expand or upgrade intercity passenger rail outside the Northeast Corridor.
- The funding, part of the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, is available through the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail program.
- “This funding addresses infrastructure needs, reduces congestion, and expands access to reliable transportation options for people living in underserved regions,” said FRA Administrator Amit Bose, in a statement.
Dive Insight:
The newly available funds follow $8.2 billion in grants announced in December 2023. That funding went to 10 projects, including high-speed rail, renovation of Chicago’s Union Station and the development of a passenger rail route from Raleigh to Wake Forest, North Carolina. In addition to new or improved rail service, eligible projects under this program include those that improve safety or reliability; the funds also can go to planning actions such as environmental reviews.
The Federal-State Partnership program, along with the Corridor Identification and Development program and the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program, are part of the FRA’s vision “to have a much more frequent, reliable connection between cities across the country,” said Jennifer Mitchell, former FRA deputy administrator, speaking at the American Public Transportation Association conference on Sept. 30. Mitchell was named senior advisor of the Federal Highway Administration on Sept. 16.
Among the FRA’s priorities that Mitchell cited were expanding passenger rail service throughout the Southeast and Midwest. Its biggest challenge has been “getting money out the door,” she said. “That goes a long way to making the case longer term for more funding.” Mitchell said the people at the FRA have “redoubled their focus on grant obligations,” the term for the commitment to disburse funds.
The closing date for applications for this round of funding is Dec. 16. A separate program applies to projects on the Northeast Corridor.
