Dive Brief:
- The Federal Railroad Administration announced today more than $2.4 billion in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program grants, also known as CRISI grants.
- The funds will go to 122 intercity passenger rail and freight rail projects in 41 states and Washington, D.C., for projects such as track improvements, replacing or renovating old bridges and procuring modern locomotives.
- Other grants will go to creating an apprenticeship training program for Amtrak as well as establishing partnerships with universities for workforce development, safety technology and grade-crossing safety.
Dive Insight:
The grants announced today cover fiscal years 2023 and 2024 and represent the largest-ever funding round for the CRISI program, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a March 29 statement when the DOT announced the notice of funding opportunity.
Among the grants awarded in the current round are:
- $105.5 million to increase the capacity of the North Carolina Railroad Company’s NC-Line to handle growing passenger and freight traffic and help Amtrak add trains and improve on-time performance for this route.
- Up to $36.8 million for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to conduct final design work to increase the capacity of the passenger rail station in Springfield, Massachusetts.
- Up to $1.84 million for the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission to complete planning for a future 12-state regional passenger rail project.
- Up to $4.9 million for a second, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant, boarding platform at the Amtrak station in Flagstaff, Arizona.
“Today’s CRISI grants will enhance rail safety, better connect towns, cities, and ports, introduce more environmentally friendly locomotives, support the current rail workforce, and provide workforce development opportunities essential to the future of our industry and the national economy,” FRA Administrator Amit Bose said in a statement.
The CRISI program was created by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2015, with $305 billion made available in fiscal years 2016 through 2020. Further funding beginning in FY 2021 came from congressional appropriations and the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law beginning in FY 2022.
