The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is awarding $5.3 billion for rail projects in 23 states, with funding aimed at improving grade-crossing safety, addressing infrastructure needs, and upgrading Amtrak's passenger rail equipment.

The awards include more than $2 billion for Amtrak to purchase 43 new trainsets and overhaul 41 locomotives serving Midwest and Pacific routes. The remaining funding will support 41 projects, including the closure or improvement of hundreds of highway-rail grade crossings and upgrades to passenger rail infrastructure.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said the investments are intended to improve rail safety and passenger service. The department also said roughly $2 billion of the funding became available following the cancellation of federal funding previously directed toward California's high-speed rail project.

Passenger Rail Investments

The FRA said it prioritized projects addressing high-risk grade crossings, including crossings with a documented history of three or more incidents or at least two fatal incidents during the previous five years. More than 2,000 incidents and 200 fatalities occur at grade crossings nationally each year, according to the agency.

 Among the largest grade-crossing awards is $356 million for the Florida Department of Transportation to make improvements at up to 910 crossings statewide. The North Carolina Department of Transportation will receive $299 million to eliminate nine crossings, install sections of double track, and support trespassing-prevention efforts.

In Texas, the state Department of Transportation will receive $189 million to eliminate nine crossings in Fort Worth, Dallas, and Terrell. Hays County will receive an additional $39 million to construct a grade-separated bridge.

Other projects include $40 million for the city of Fairfield, Ohio, to close two crossings and construct a new bridge over a section of CSX's Cincinnati Terminal Subdivision. The city of New Orleans will receive $2.5 million for repairs to platforms and canopies at the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal, while the city of Crete, Nebraska, will receive $1.1 million to evaluate eight existing crossings for potential infrastructure improvements.

Amtrak Fleet Upgrades

The funding package also includes $2.05 billion for Amtrak to purchase 43 new trainsets built in the US and $140 million to overhaul 41 locomotives currently operating on Midwest and Pacific routes.

The new trainsets will replace aging equipment and are intended to increase seating capacity on routes with high demand. Routes identified for new trainsets include the Adirondack, Blue Water, Carolinian, Cascades, Downeaster, Empire, Ethan Allen, Hiawatha, Keystone, Lincoln, Pennsylvanian, Piedmont, River Runner, and Wolverine, among others.

The investment comes as Amtrak continues efforts to reorganize its management structure, including a proposed focus on fleet management and equipment modernization.

“The projects we announced today will help make our nation’s rail network much safer because now state DOTs across America will have the funds they need to eliminate dangerous grade crossings across the nation,” said FRA Administrator David Fink. “FRA also collaborated with Amtrak over two years to determine how best to distribute these funds so passenger trains can run on time and freight isn’t delayed.”

Focus on Grade-Crossing Safety

Grade crossings are the second-leading cause of rail-related deaths in the US, according to the FRA. The agency said its project selection process emphasized crossings with documented safety risks while also considering broader infrastructure and service needs.

The awards were made through the National Railroad Partnership Program (NRPP), a federal grant program supporting passenger rail projects that improve safety, address state-of-good-repair needs, or improve system performance.

The program is open to states, groups of states, interstate compacts, public agencies and authorities, political subdivisions, Amtrak, federally recognized Indian tribes, and combinations of eligible entities.

The FRA received 103 eligible applications from 78 applicants seeking a combined $11.66 billion in federal funding following its September funding announcement. The $5.3 billion in selected projects represents a portion of the requested funding.

The selected projects span a range of rail improvements, from grade-crossing closures and safety upgrades to passenger terminal repairs and fleet modernization, to address infrastructure and equipment needs across the nation's passenger rail network.

For a list of awardees, click here.