Boosting America’s Passenger Rail Network: Rural and Short Line Railroads to Benefit from Federal Funding Surge

Saturday, March 30, 2024

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), under the U.S. Department of Transportation, announced the release of a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), allocating over $2.4 billion in funds from the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program. This funding is aimed at enhancing the United States’ freight and passenger rail systems by improving safety, efficiency, and reliability. The announcement includes appropriations for Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024 from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, adding to the over $1.4 billion in CRISI grants announced previously.

“Today we’re opening the biggest funding round in history for the program that modernizes freight and intercity passenger rail infrastructure,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This funding will make it safer, more affordable, more sustainable, and more efficient for people and goods to move by rail across the country.”

In the past year, the FRA awarded CRISI funding to 70 projects across 35 states and Washington, D.C., encompassing bridge, track, and grade crossing upgrades, along with the revival and augmentation of intercity passenger rail services. Notably, CRISI grants significantly benefit rural areas and smaller rail lines, vital to local economies and the national supply chain, by funding projects like trespassing deterrents and the acquisition or upgrade of eco-friendly locomotives. These grants also back workforce initiatives to maintain and grow the rail industry’s labor force, resulting in safer communities, greener transport, improved delivery services, and enhanced employment and training opportunities.

“Every year, FRA sees extraordinarily high demand for CRISI grant funds, which help railroads, states, and local communities meet vital needs for safety and economic development and growth,” said FRA Administrator Amit Bose. “In addition, by funding freight and passenger rail transportation, CRISI-funded projects improve the fluidity of the national rail network and make it easier and safer for goods and people to move by rail across the country.” 

Furthermore, the Biden-Harris Administration has been proactive in bolstering rail safety through substantial investments in infrastructure and workforce development, utilizing the FRA’s various programs. These actions form a key component of a broader strategy to modernize the nation’s transportation infrastructure, ensuring safety for those living near or using the rail system and positioning the United States for continued competitiveness into the future.

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