FRA Begins Soliciting Proposals for Passenger Rail Corridors

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a Notice of Solicitation and Funding Opportunity to solicit proposals for intercity passenger rail corridors for the Corridor Identification and Development (ID) Program.

The Corridor ID Program was created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and it will guide the development of new and enhanced intercity passenger rail services that will help bolster economic growth throughout the country. 

“FRA has received extensive interest from States, local leaders, and the public for intercity passenger rail service in their regions and communities, and the Corridor ID program will allow the federal government to help with the long-term planning and delivery of new and enhanced passenger rail services nationwide,” said FRA Administrator Amit Bose. “With President Biden’s infrastructure investments, we have an opportunity to support new and expanded intercity passenger rail corridors and develop a national strategy to make rail transportation more available and reliable, boosting economies, growing jobs, and creating new connections to move people and goods with ease.”

The Corridor ID Program is a step in the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to improve America’s rail networks, according to the FRA.

The program also presents an opportunity for selected corridors to receive sustained support through the Planning and Project Development stages of the project life cycle. In this approach, FRA will work with corridor sponsors to prepare a Service Development Plan for each selected corridor and advance capital projects identified in those plans to ready them for final design and construction.

Projects that are identified and fully developed through the program will benefit from a selection preference for future Federal-State Partnership-National funding opportunities.

In May, the FRA began soliciting expressions of interest in the Corridor ID Program and added that it received positive responses from States, local governments, and other stakeholders. Going forward, the FRA said it will use the Corridor ID Program as the primary means for guiding financial support and technical assistance toward efforts to establish new intercity passenger rail corridors or improve existing services. 

In evaluating corridor proposals, the agency will target projects that bring tangible public benefits, and special emphasis will be paid to projects that benefit rural and underserved communities. Proposed corridors should make regional travel more sustainable and reduce congestion, boost local economies and create jobs, among other benefits.