USDOT announces $3M funding for RailTAP, ITRE and NCRR’s rail safety training program

Additional funding announced through a separate grant program will support passenger rail service around the country 

More than 445 rail projects nationwide have now been announced thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and President Biden’s unprecedented support for rail 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today announced that it has awarded more than $1.1 billion in Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program funding to 123 rail projects, improving or studying more than 1,000 highway-rail crossings nationwide. This announcement is the largest single investment in grade crossing safety in FRA’s history. Combined with previous rail investments announced under the Biden-Harris Administration, FRA has now invested a historic $48.5 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding in more than 445 rail projects across the country and Amtrak.

Rail grants being announced today for communities in 41 states will build railroad overpasses and underpasses, fund safety upgrades that will save lives, and make improvements that will result in safer communities for pedestrians and motorists as well as rail workers and riders. The construction of new overpasses and underpasses, in particular, will eliminate the risk of collisions between trains and roadway users and prevent blocked crossings—which delays drivers and emergency responders alike—greatly enhancing safety, mobility, and connectivity for local communities nationwide.

“This Administration is tackling the issues that Americans face every day, and over the years, we have engaged with residents, community leaders, and stakeholders across the country on the issue of grade crossing safety and blocked crossings,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program funding we’re announcing today is a sweeping effort that directly supports cities, towns, and villages in every region of the country in their efforts to protect lives, prevent drivers being delayed by blocked crossings, and improve the overall quality of life for their citizens.”

Accidents at grade crossings are the second leading cause of rail-related deaths in the United States, with more than 2,000 incidents and 200 fatalities occurring at grade crossings each year. Furthermore, blockages resulting from slow moving or stalled trains at crossings cost time and resources for American families and may cut off access roads and delay first responders from reaching emergencies. Over the last twelve months, FRA received more than 26,000 complaints of blocked crossings through the agency’s Public Blocked Crossing Incident Reporter.

“From day one of the Biden-Harris Administration, we have committed ourselves to making rail safer for all Americas, and since President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we have made unprecedented investments to modernize and improve America’s rail networks,” said FRA Administrator Amit Bose. “Today’s grants are another example of the Biden-Harris Administration reversing a half-century of federal underinvestment in America’s rail network and delivering for the American people, helping people in communities big and small get to and from their homes, schools, businesses, and workplaces safely and without delays.”

Major projects funded by the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-2024 Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program include:

•  Arizona – Hualapai Tribal Diamond Creek Road Grade Separation Project ($22,989,751) 
  Hualapai Tribal Council 
  The proposed project was selected for Final Design and Construction and includes activities to create a grade-separated overpass and install anti-intrusion fencing along the rail corridor within the traditional lands of the Hualapai in Peach Springs, Arizona for the Hualapai Tribal Council. The project aligns with the selection criteria by resulting in one or more grade-separated crossings, as the project will construct a grade-separated overpass/bridge structure and install fencing to improve safety in an area with a history of accidents. The Hualapai Tribal Council and BNSF will contribute the 20 percent non-Federal match.
• South Carolina – Assembly Street Railroad Separation Project ($204,200,000)
  City of Columbia 
  The proposed project was selected for Final Design, Right-of-Way Acquisition, and Construction and includes activities to support grade crossing-related improvements on Norfolk Southern and CSX-owned infrastructure in Columbia, South Carolina. The project will consolidate freight operations from two corridors into one. The project aligns with selection criteria by enhancing safety, as the project will improve safety, reduce delays, and enhance freight mobility. The City of Columbia, Richland County, and South Carolina Department of Transportation will contribute the 20 percent non-Federal match.
• Illinois – CREATE Project GS1 ($43,125,000)
  Illinois Department of Transportation
  The proposed project was selected for Final Design, Right-of Way-Acquisition, and Construction and includes activities to support grade crossing and bridge-related improvements in the Greater Chicago region as part of the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE). The project will improve infrastructure owned by the Belt Railroad of Chicago. The project aligns with the selection criteria of improving the mobility of people and goods and access to communities, as the project will reduce vehicle delay due to gate-down time, improve railroad crossing safety, promote mobility and connectivity, and advance sustainability and resiliency within Chicago’s Clearing West neighborhood, the Village of Bedford Park, and the Village of Summit. The Illinois Department of Transportation (ILDOT) and the Belt Railway Company will contribute the 20 percent non-Federal match.
• North Carolina – NC State University/North Carolina Railroad Crossing Safety Training Program ($3,000,000)
  NC State University
  The proposed project was selected for Project Planning and includes activities to establish RailTAP (Rail Technical Assistance Program), a training and education initiative aimed at improving safety and reducing accidents at highway-rail grade crossings. The project will educate the public and workers about rail crossing risks, promote safety practices to reduce accidents and injuries, and provide localized training for those involved with rail crossings. The project aligns with the selection criteria by enhancing safety, as the project will educate railway workers, contractors, first responders, citizens, municipal and state employees, business owners, and others. The North Carolina Railroad Company will contribute the 20 percent non-Federal match.

At the same time, FRA is announcing more than $146 million in funding bolstered by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to strengthen intercity passenger rail service on six routes across the country, helping to position newly initiated, restored, and enhanced passenger rail routes for long-term success.

Administered through FRA’s Restoration and Enhancement Grant Program, selected services benefiting from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants being announced today include:

• California’s Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service on the LOSSAN Corridor from Los Angeles to San Diego, CA ($27.1 million)
• Connecticut’s CTrail Hartford Line service from New Haven, CT, to Springfield, MA ($11.6 million)
• Brightline’s Florida service from Miami to Orlando ($33.8 million)
• Amtrak’s Gulf Coast service from New Orleans, LA, to Mobile, AL ($21.1 million)
• North Carolina’s Amtrak Piedmont service from Charlotte to Raleigh, NC ($14 million)
• Amtrak’s Borealis service from Chicago, IL, to Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN ($38.6 million)

Taken together, these investments will help ensure local communities have access to new services, service enhancements, and restored service. Rail grants being announced build on passenger rail projects of national significance moving forward under the Biden-Harris Administration that will deliver the world-class passenger rail service Americans deserve. See a map that shows corridors in every region of the country identified for future federal investment here.

The full list of FY 2023-2024 Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program selections can be found here. More information about the grant program is available here.

The full list of FY 2021-2024 Restoration and Enhancement Grant Program selections can be found here. More information about the grant program is available here.

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