FRA makes $25 million available for rail infrastructure safety upgrades

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is now accepting applications from local governments, states and railroads for $25 million in competitive grants to increase rail safety. Applications are due by June 14, 2016.

 

Applicants can request funds for safety improvements to railroad infrastructure, including railroad crossings, track, tunnels, bridges, yards and other areas. The funding is made available from the 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act that funds the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“As the country’s population increases, rail will play a larger role in transporting more people and more freight. To do that safely, we must invest in our rail infrastructure,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “These funds will help address some of the improvements that are essential for safe, reliable and efficient railroad operations and I encourage applications that achieve the maximum benefits possible with this limited funding.”

The Railroad Safety Infrastructure Improvements Grant program can fund safety improvements to railroad infrastructure, but the focus of a project must be safety improvements. This includes the acquisition, improvement or rehabilitation of intermodal facilities; improvements to track, bridges and tunnels; upgrades to railroad crossings and the separation of railroad crossings and roads.

“To safely move tons of freight and millions of passengers each day in this country, we need to continually invest in safety. These dollars will help get us closer to that goal,” FRA Administrator Sarah Feinberg said. “We hope to receive applications that can make these limited funds go as far as possible.”

FRA requested a total of $2.3 billion for rail infrastructure safety upgrades as part of the president’s Fiscal Year 2017 budget proposal. This includes $520 million for competitive local rail facilities and safety project grants and $1.8 billion for competitive rail infrastructure and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance grants.

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