FY 24-25 NOFO FSP 10.3.25.pdf

FY 2024–2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program

For Projects Not Located on the Northeast Corridor (FSP-National) Federal Railroad Administration

U.S. Department of Transportation Table of Contents

1. BASIC INFORMATION

a. Executive Summary

b. Changes from previous FY24 NOFO

2. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

a. Program History and Authorization

b. Program Goal and Objectives

c. Expected Outcomes

3. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

a. Eligible Applicants

b. Cost Sharing and Matching

c. Federal Award Information

d. Eligible Projects

e. Project Component

f. Project Lifecycle Stages

4. APPLICATION CONTENTS AND FORMAT

a. Project Narrative

b. Additional Application Elements

5. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINES

a. Address to Request Application Package

b. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

c. Submission Instructions

d. Submission Dates and Times

e. Intergovernmental Review

6. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

a. Completeness and Eligibility Criteria

b. Evaluation Criteria

c. Selection Preferences

d. Review and Selection Process

e. Risk Review

7. AWARD NOTICES

a. Federal Award Notices

b. Pre-Award Funding Restrictions

8. POST AWARD REQUIREMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION

a. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

b. Reporting

c. Data Sharing Requirements

d. Program Requirements Critical Infrastructure Security, Cybersecurity, and Resilience

e. Domestic Preference Requirements

f. Civil Rights and ADA

g. Federal Anti-Discrimination

h. Compliance with Federal Law and Policies

9. OTHER INFORMATION

a. Helpful Links

1. BASIC INFORMATION

SUMMARY OVERVIEW OF KEY INFORMATION

Topic Description Federal Agency Name Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Funding Opportunity Title

Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Fiscal Years 2024–2025 Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program for projects not located on the Northeast Corridor (FSP-National)

Announcement Type This is the first amended and reissued notice for Fiscal Year 2024– 2025 FSP-National

Funding Opportunity Number

FR-FSP-25-006

Assistance Listing Number

20.326 Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail

Funding Details The total funding available for awards under this NOFO is up to $5,070,784,989.1

Key Dates Applications Due: No later than 11:59 p.m. EST, January 7, 2026 Executive Summary The FSP Program provides a Federal funding opportunity to improve

American passenger rail assets by funding projects that enhance safety, such as grade crossing projects on a passenger rail route;

reduce the State of Good Repair backlog; improve performance; or expand or establish new intercity passenger rail service, including privately operated intercity passenger rail service if an eligible applicant is involved. The FSP Program recognizes that long-distance passenger rail routes and services should be sustained to ensure connectivity throughout the national network and has funding set aside for such efforts.

Eligible Applicants include:

(1) A State (including the District of Columbia);

(2) A group of States;

(3) An Interstate Compact;

(4) A public agency or publicly chartered authority established by one or more States;

(5) A political subdivision of a State;

(6) Amtrak, acting on its own behalf or under a cooperative agreement with one or more States;

(7) A federally recognized Indian Tribe; and

(8) Any combination of the entities described in (1) through (7).

Agency Contact Information

Email: FRA-NOFO-Support@dot.gov

1 The funding in this NOFO is made available by the 2024 and 2025 Appropriation, 2024 and 2025 advance appropriations provided in IIJA, and de-obligated FY22-25 IIJA supplemental funds previously awarded through prior FSP-National NOFOs. Should additional FSP Program funds become available after the release of this NOFO, FRA may elect to award such additional funds to applications received under this NOFO. Any awards made under this NOFO are subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

a. Executive Summary This is an amended and reissued Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program (FSP Program). This FSP Program notice is for projects not located on the Northeast Corridor (FSP-National). This notice details the application requirements and procedures to obtain grant funding for projects under FSP-National for FY 2024–2025.

The Nation’s rail network is a critical component of the U.S. transportation system and economy.

The FSP Program provides a Federal funding opportunity to improve American passenger rail assets by funding projects that enhance safety, reduce the State of Good Repair backlog, improve performance, and/or expand or establish new intercity passenger rail service, including privately operated intercity passenger rail service if an eligible applicant is involved. The FSP Program has funding set aside for long-distance passenger rail routes and services to ensure connectivity throughout the national network.

b. Changes from previous FY24 NOFO The FY24 NOFO was originally published on September 30, 2024, and withdrawn on September 22, 2025. The reissued NOFO captures the following changes:

• Removes references to rescinded Executive Orders.2

• Aligns the NOFO with a new Executive Order.3

• Adds $1,019,234,137 in FSP-National Program funds for Fiscal Year 2025 provided in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Pub. L. No. 117-58 (November 15, 2021), advance appropriations, $38,362,500 provided in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, Div A, Tit. XIII, Pub. L. 119-4, and $564,237,915 in unawarded FY24 FSP-Northeast Corridor funding.

• Adds $2,391,353,800.67 in FSP-National Program funds for Fiscal Years 2022-2025 provided in the IIJA advance appropriations.

• Updates the organization of the NOFO and use of references, such as moving Key Terms to the FRA website, to comply with the recent changes to 2 CFR Part 200 Appendix I.

• Removes the use of project tracks to reduce duplicative information with project Lifecycle Stages.

2. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

a. Program History and Authorization The Program, originally named the Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair was established by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, Pub. L. No. 114-94 (December 4, 2015). The FAST Act marked the first time that intercity passenger rail programs were included in a comprehensive, multimodal surface transportation authorization bill, authorizing more than $10 billion for intercity passenger and freight rail grants. Initially, the

2 Removes references to the following Executive Orders - Executive Order 11246, Equal Employment Opportunity, Executive Order 14025, Worker Organizing and Empowerment, Executive Order 14052, Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, and Executive Order 14096, Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All.

3 Executive Order 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.

https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/definitions-key-terms-discretionary-grant-programs https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/definitions-key-terms-discretionary-grant-programs program’s purpose was to fund capital projects to repair, replace, or rehabilitate qualified existing railroad assets, reducing the state of good repair backlog. The IIJA expanded the program’s eligibility, allowing for projects related to the expansion and establishment of new intercity passenger rail service. Additionally, IIJA changed the title of the Program to the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail to better reflect its expanded eligibilities and intent. The FSP Program was authorized in Sections 22106 and 22307 of the IIJA, Pub. L.

No. 117-58 (November 15, 2021); 49 U.S.C. 24911. Funding under the FY24–25 NOFO was made available by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, Div. F, Tit. I, Pub. L. 118-42 (March 9, 2024) (2024 Appropriation), the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, Div. A, Tit. XIII, Public Law 119-4 (March 15, 2025) (2025 Appropriation), and Title VIII of Division J of the IIJA.

b. Program Goal and Objectives Under the FSP Program, FRA intends to fund capital projects that enhance safety, reduce the state of good repair backlog, improve performance, or expand or establish new intercity passenger rail service, including privately operated intercity passenger rail service, if an eligible applicant is involved. Safety is the Department and FRA’s top priority, and FRA welcomes applications for railroad safety projects that also improve intercity passenger rail performance (see 49 U.S.C. 24911(c)(2)).

FSP Program funds will not be used to further local political objectives or for projects and goals that are purely local in nature and unrelated to a proper Federal interest. The FSP Program and this NOFO instead prioritize support and assistance for projects that are consistent with the proper role of the Federal Government in our system of federalism, have strong co-funding requirements, adhere faithfully to all Federal statutory Buy America requirements, and do not depend on continuous or future U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) support or assistance for improvements or ongoing maintenance.

c. Expected Outcomes As stated in Section 2(b) of the NOFO, the FSP Program’s focus is to enhance safety, reduce the state of good repair backlog, improve performance, and establish new services. FRA expects outcomes of selected projects to include:

i. Safety and High-Performing Core Assets: Restore and modernize core assets to improve the state of good repair, enhance system resiliency, and increase safety.

ii. Expansion and New Services: Invest the expansion of existing long-distance services and passenger rail routes operated by public and private partners as well investment in new passenger rail corridors.

iii. System Reliability and Connectivity: Improve system operations to reduce trip time and delays, manage travel demand, improve connectivity.

3. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

This section explains applicant eligibility, cost sharing and matching requirements, project eligibility, and project component operational independence. Applications that do not meet the requirements in this section will be ineligible for funding. Instructions for submitting eligibility information to FRA are detailed in Section 4(a)(IV).

a. Eligible Applicants The following entities are eligible applicants for all projects permitted under this notice:

i. A State (including the District of Columbia);

ii. A group of States;

iii. An Interstate Compact;

iv. A public agency or publicly chartered authority established by one or more States;

v. A political subdivision of a State;

vi. Amtrak, acting on its own behalf or under a cooperative agreement with one or more

States;

vii. A federally recognized Indian Tribe; or

viii. Any combination of the entities described in (i) through (vii).

Applications must be submitted by the lead applicant that serves as the primary point of contact for the application, and if selected, will be the recipient of the FSP-National grant award.

To apply under (viii) above, the lead applicant must identify the other entities(s) and include a signed statement from an authorized representative of each entity that affirms the entity joins the application. See Section 4 for further instructions about applying under 49 U.S.C.

24911(a)(1)(H).

An application submitted by Amtrak and one or more States, whether eligible under (i), (ii), (vi) or (viii) above, must identify the lead applicant and include a signed cooperative agreement between Amtrak and the State(s) consistent with 49 U.S.C. 24911(a)(1)(F). FRA welcomes private sector support, though only the entities listed above are eligible. Applications may reference entities that are not eligible (e.g., private sector firms) as a partner in project funding or implementation, but ineligible entities cannot be a recipient. If the applicant seeks to partner with an ineligible entity (e.g., a private intercity passenger rail operator), that intention should be made clear in the application, and a letter of support from the ineligible entity should be included in the application. If selected, only the eligible applicant will be the recipient under the grant agreement. This means the eligible applicant will be legally and financially responsible to FRA under the terms and conditions of the FRA grant agreement. Before partnering with an ineligible entity, applicants should carefully review FRA’s Discretionary Grant Agreements, as these terms and conditions will apply to the applicant, if selected.

b. Cost Sharing and Matching The estimated total cost of a project must be based on the best available information, including engineering studies, studies of economic feasibility, environmental analyses, and information on the expected use of equipment and/or facilities, consistent with 49 U.S.C. 24911(f)(1). The Federal share of total costs for FSP-National projects funded under this notice shall not exceed 80 percent, consistent with 49 U.S.C. 24911(f)(2). Additionally, applicants are encouraged to use FRA’s Cost Estimate Guidance4, to account for the impact of external factors and cost-impacts of time (e.g., inflation) while preparing the scope, schedule, and budget.

4 https://railroads.dot.gov/rail-network-development/training-guidance/capital-cost-estimating-guidance.

https://railroads.dot.gov/grants-loans/fra-discretionary-grant-agreements

(𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹 𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺 𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅 +𝑂𝑂𝑂𝑂ℎ𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹 𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹)

𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇 𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶

= 𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶 𝑆𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎

Before applying, applicants should carefully review the principles for cost sharing or matching in 2 CFR 200.306. See Section 4(a) for required application information on non-Federal share. See Section 6(b) for further discussion of FRA’s consideration of matching funds in the review and selection process. FRA will approve pre-award costs incurred after announcement of awards as applicable and consistent with 2 CFR 200.458. Cost sharing or matching may be used only for authorized Federal award purposes.

Applicants must identify the source(s) of the project’s non-Federal share. These funds must be clearly and distinctly reflected as part of the Total Project Cost. The minimum 20 percent non- Federal share may be comprised of public or private funding.5 FRA will not consider any Federal financial assistance, or any non-Federal funds already expended (or otherwise encumbered) toward the matching requirement, unless compliant with 2 CFR part 200. See Section 4(a) for supporting information required to demonstrate eligibility of Federal funds for use as non- Federal share. In-kind contributions, including the donation of services, materials, and equipment, may be credited as a project cost in a uniform manner consistent with 2 CFR 200.306.

Consistent with 49 U.S.C. 24911(f)(3), if Amtrak is an applicant, Amtrak may use its ticket and other non-Federal revenues generated from its operations and other sources to satisfy the non- Federal share requirements.

Funding under this NOFO may not be used for costs that are included in or used to meet cost sharing or matching requirements of any other federally financed award or program. If the applicant seeks additional funding for a project that has already received Federal financial assistance, costs associated with the scope of work for the existing Federal award are not eligible for funding under this NOFO. Only new scope elements and activities (e.g., new deliverables) are eligible for funding under this NOFO.

All contracts for projects financed with Federal funds are subject to applicable Federal requirements. Applicants with previously existing contracts must ensure that applicable Federal requirements are included if selected for Federal funding.

There are no predetermined minimum or maximum dollar thresholds for awards. FRA anticipates making multiple awards with the available funding. FRA may not be able to award grants to all eligible applications even if they meet or exceed the stated evaluation criteria (see Section 6(b)). FRA may award partial funding, as projects may require more funding than is available. If FRA anticipates not fully funding a project, FRA may contact the applicant during the evaluation process to ensure that the applicant is able to complete the project with available funding. FRA encourages applicants to propose a project that has operational independence, or a component of such project, which can be completed and implemented with funding under this NOFO as a part of the total project cost together with other, non-Federal sources.

5 A project’s non-Federal share can consist of Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act financing or Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing.

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2014-title2-vol1/pdf/CFR-2014-title2-vol1-sec200-306.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2014-title2-vol1/pdf/CFR-2014-title2-vol1-sec200-458.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2014-title2-vol1/pdf/CFR-2014-title2-vol1-part200.pdf

c. Federal Award Information Applicants are not limited in the number of projects for which they seek funding. Applicants submitting more than one application are required to submit a priority ranking of their submitted applications that is consistent with each application package submitted.

i. Award Type: FRA will make awards for projects selected under this notice through grant agreements or cooperative agreements. FRA will determine the type of agreement after project selection and prior to grant obligation. The term “grant” is used throughout this document to reference funding awarded through a grant agreement or a cooperative agreement. Grant agreements are used when FRA does not expect to have substantial Federal involvement in carrying out the funded activity.

Cooperative agreements allow for substantial Federal involvement in carrying out the agreed upon investment, including technical assistance, review of interim work products, and increased program oversight. The funding provided under this NOFO will be made available to recipients on a reimbursable basis. Recipients must certify that their expenditures are allowable, allocable, reasonable, and necessary to the approved project before seeking reimbursement from FRA. Additionally, recipients are expected to expend non-Federal funds at the required percentage concurrent with Federal funds throughout the life of the project.

The FRA Grant Agreement Requirements consists of three parts:

• Attachment 1: Standard Terms and Conditions,

• Attachment 2: Project-Specific Terms and Conditions, and

• Terms and Conditions Exhibits.

These templates are subject to revision. If selected for award, all three parts of the grant agreement must be completed. However, only Articles 4-7 of Attachment 2:

Project-Specific Terms and Conditions, must be included in an application package.

Attachment 2 requirements are discussed further in Section 4(b)(i).

ii. Phased Funding Agreements: FRA may provide grant funding in phases through a

Phased Funding Agreement (PFA) for Highly Rated Major Capital Projects. A PFA obligates an initial FSP Program grant award in phased funding provisions as authorized by 49 U.S.C 24911(g)(2). A PFA shall: (1) establish the terms of participation by the Federal Government in the project; (2) establish the maximum amount of Federal financial assistance for the Major Capital Project; (3) include the period of time for completing the Major Capital Project, even if such period extends beyond the period for which Federal financial assistance is authorized; (4) make timely and efficient management of the Major Capital Project easier in accordance with Federal law; and (5) if applicable, specify when the process for complying with NEPA and related environmental laws will be completed for the Major Capital Project. FRA anticipates limiting the use of PFAs to Major Capital Projects that are currently in, or beginning, the Final Design and/or the Construction Lifecycle Stages.

A PFA provides an initial obligation of a grant award and includes contingent commitments. Contingent commitments are not financial obligations of the Federal Government. Future obligated funds are subject to the availability of appropriations.

https://railroads.dot.gov/grants-loans/fra-discretionary-grant-agreements

FRA commits to provide funding as specified in the PFA for the duration of the Major Capital Project, provided the recipient continues to meet the terms of the PFA, and Congress appropriates sufficient FSP Program funding for such purpose.

Applicants seeking a PFA must request a PFA in the project narrative and provide the additional information required in Section 4(a). Additionally, FRA may independently determine that a Major Capital Project is appropriate for a PFA.

iii. Letters of Intent: FRA may issue a Letter of Intent (LOI) for a Major Capital Project.

An LOI, authorized at 49 U.S.C. 24911(g)(1), is a letter from FRA to a recipient announcing “an intention to obligate” an amount for a Major Capital Project from future budget authority. An LOI is a contingent commitment and is not a binding obligation of the Federal Government, but signals FRA’s intent to provide future Final Design and/or Construction Lifecycle Stage funding for Major Capital Projects.

FRA anticipates issuing an LOI primarily to Major Capital Projects currently in, or beginning, the Project Development Lifecycle Stage. FRA may outline conditions and/or define readiness thresholds in the LOI that the recipient may use to inform its future funding requests under the FSP Program. Applicants seeking an LOI must request an LOI in the project narrative and provide the additional information required in Section 4(a). Additionally, FRA may independently issue an LOI for a Major Capital Project.

iv. Concurrent Applications: DOT and FRA may concurrently solicit applications for transportation infrastructure projects under several financial assistance programs.

Applicants may submit applications for a project to one or more of these programs.

See Section 4(a)(III) for required application information on concurrent applications.

d. Eligible Projects The following Capital Projects, including acquisition of real property interests, are eligible for funding:

i. A project to replace, rehabilitate, or repair infrastructure, equipment, or a facility used for providing intercity passenger rail service to bring such assets into a State of Good Repair.

ii. A project to improve intercity passenger rail service performance, including reduced trip times, increased train frequencies, higher operating speeds, improved reliability, expanded capacity, reduced congestion, electrification, and other improvements, as determined by the Secretary.6

iii. A project to expand or establish new intercity passenger rail service.

iv. A group of related projects described in paragraphs (i) through (iii).

v. The planning, environmental studies, and Final Design for a project or group of projects described in paragraphs (i) through (iv).

For projects located on a shared corridor with commuter railroad passenger transportation or freight transportation, applicants must clearly demonstrate how the proposed project will benefit

6 A project that enhances safety including grade crossing improvement is eligible under this criterion provided the project also demonstrates an improvement to intercity passenger rail service performance.

Intercity Passenger Rail Transportation. The applicant must also demonstrate that the proposed project is a reasonable investment in Intercity Passenger Rail Transportation.

Capital Projects may include the acquisition of real property interests, Project Planning, Project Development, Final Design, and Construction. Pre-Construction activities are eligible for funding independently or in conjunction with Construction. Any project that includes acquisition of real property, even if the project is only receiving Federal funds for Construction, is subject to requirements of the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4601 et seq. (Uniform Act). Regulations implementing the Uniform Act are at 49 C.F.R. part 24. FRA will consider right-of-way acquisition only for applications seeking eligible Construction funding.

Applicants requesting Project Development funds may submit the following with their application: application engineering drawings and specifications (scale drawings at the 30 percent design level, including track geometry as appropriate), design criteria, schematics, and/or track charts. Applicants may request funding for work that can be funded in conjunction with developing preliminary engineering, such as operations modeling, surveying, project work/management plans, preliminary cost estimates, and preliminary project schedules. If selected, recipients will be expected to complete Project Development to support Final Design or Construction.

e. Project Component If an applicant requests funding for a component or set of components of a larger capital project, the project component(s) must be attainable with the award amount and comply with all eligibility requirements described in Section 3. In addition, the component(s) must enable independent analysis and decision making, as determined by FRA under NEPA (i.e., have independent utility, connect logical termini, and do not restrict the consideration of alternatives for other reasonably foreseeable rail projects).

f. Project Lifecycle Stages FRA strongly encourages applicants to align eligible project activities with the Lifecycle Stages outlined in FRA’s Railroad Capital Project Guidance.7

An applicant may seek funding for one or more Lifecycle Stages in a single application.

Applicants should clearly explain which project activities fall within each Lifecycle Stage. In addition, applicants should request a specific amount of Federal funds for each Lifecycle Stage.

7 To the extent permitted under EO 14151.

https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot.gov/files/2023-01/FRA%20Guidance%20on%20Development%20and%20Implementation%20of%20Railroad%20Capital%20Projects.pdf

Based on the availability of funds, FRA may fund one or more of the Lifecycle Stages identified in the application.

4. APPLICATION CONTENTS AND FORMAT

Applicants must submit all required information and components of the application package, as described in this section and by the deadline, to be considered for funding. Applications that are not submitted on time or do not contain all required documentation will not be considered for funding. To support the application, applicants may provide optional relevant and available supporting documentation, especially documentation that provides evidence of a Capital Project’s completed Lifecycle Stage(s), where applicable.

Table 1. Required Documents and Information for an Application Package.

Application Information NOFO Section for Guidance

Project Narrative See 4(a) Statement of Work, Estimated Project Schedule, Project Budget, Performance Measures (Attachment 2: Articles 4-7) See 4(b)(i)

Benefit-Cost Analysis See 4(b)(ii) Environmental Compliance Documentation See 4(b)(iii) Draft Agreement required under 49 U.S.C 22905(c)(1), if applicable See 4(b)(iv)

Corridor Identification Documentation See 4(b)(v) SF 424 – Application for Federal Assistance8 See 4(b)(vi) SF 424A – Budget Information for Non-Construction or SF 424C – Budget Information for Construction See 4(b)(vii)

SF 424B – Assurances for Non-Construction or SF 424D – Assurances for Construction See 4(b)(viii)

FRA’s F 30 – Certifications Regarding Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters, Drug-Free Workplace Requirements and Lobbying

See 4(b)(ix)

FRA F 251 – Applicant Financial Capability Questionnaire See 4(b)(x) SF LLL – Disclosure of Lobbying Activities See 4(b)(xi)

a. Project Narrative This section describes the minimum content required in the project narrative of an FSP Program grant application. The project narrative must follow the basic outline below to address the program requirements and assist evaluators in locating relevant information.

Table 2. Required Project Narrative Sections.

Project Narrative Section NOFO Section for

Guidance

8 The SF 424 is the official record of request. Therefore, the amount requested in the SF-424, project narrative, statement of work (Article 4), and project budget (Article 6) must match. Where there are discrepancies in the amount requested, FRA will use the request reflected in the SF 424.

I. Cover Page See 4(a)(I)

II. Project Summary See 4(a)(II)

III. Project Funding See 4(a)(III)

IV. Applicant Eligibility Criteria See 4(a)(IV)

V. Project Eligibility Criteria See 4(a)(V)

VI. Corridor Identification Program Coordination (if applicable): See 4(a)(VI)

VII. Detailed Project Description See 4(a)(VII)

VIII. Safety Benefit Data See 4(a)(VIII)

IX. Project Location See 4(a)(IX)

X. Evaluation and Selection Criteria See 4(a)(X)

XI. Project Implementation and Management See 4(a)(XI)

The project narrative may not exceed 25 pages in length (excluding cover pages, a table of contents, and supporting documentation). FRA will not review or consider project narratives beyond the 25-page limitation. If possible, applicants should submit supporting documents via website links rather than hard copies. If applicable, applicants must clearly identify portions and cite page numbers of relevant information in supporting documents. The project narrative must adhere to the outline detailed below.

I. Cover Page: Include a cover page that lists the following elements in either a table or formatted list:

Project Title

Lead Applicant Name

Joint Applicant Name(s)

Amount of FSP Program funding requested under this NOFO.9 $

Amount of proposed non-Federal share $

Source(s) of proposed non-Federal share

Amount of other Federal funding, if applicable $

Source (s) of other Federal funding, if applicable

Total Project Cost $

Capital Cost Estimate $

9 Please note FRA will round down funding requests to the nearest whole dollar.

All costs and the value of any resources needed to complete the Project Development, Final Design, and Construction stages of a capital project.

Total cost by Lifecycle Stage(s) for which funding is requested under this NOFO (list each Lifecycle Stage and cost separately)

Is right of way acquisition (ROW) part of this funding request?

(Please provide funding request associated with ROW).

Yes/No

City(ies), State(s) where the project is located

Congressional District(s) where the project is located

Geospatial data for project location(s) in decimal degrees (with at least five decimal places of precision).

If a track segment or corridor, provide start and end point data.

Current Lifecycle Stage of project at time of application

Anticipated completion date of current Lifecycle Stage

Application Lifecyle Stage(s) proposed to be funded by this NOFO

Existing Intercity Passenger Rail service(s) on routes not more than 750 miles benefiting from the project

If applicable, existing Long-Distance service(s) (routes greater than 750 miles) benefiting from the project

If applicable, existing Commuter Rail service(s) benefitting from the project

If applicable, what Corridor, as identified in FY 2022 CID Selections, is benefitting from the project

Host Railroad/infrastructure owner(s) of project assets and property

Other impacted Railroad(s)

Tenant Railroad(s), if applicable

If applicable, is a 49 U.S.C. 22905-compliant Railroad Agreement in place or pending?

Yes/No/Pending

LOI/PFA requested? Yes/No

If LOI requested for Projects in Project Development, provide amount of future request of Final Design/Construction request.

If PFA requested for Final Design and Construction:

(a) Provide amount of request under this NOFO for initial obligation.

https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/fy22-CID-program-selections https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/fy22-CID-program-selections https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2022-title49/pdf/USCODE-2022-title49-subtitleV-partB-chap229-sec22905.pdf

(b) Provide amount of request under this NOFO for contingent commitment (equal to the remaining amount of the project cost).

II. Project Summary: Provide a brief, 4–6 sentence summary of the proposed project and scope of work. The applicant should explain challenges the proposed project aims to address and summarize the intended outcomes that will result from the proposed project.

III. Grant Funds, Sources, and Use of Project Funds: Provide a project budget that lists all funding sources (i.e., Federal and non-Federal), specify how these will contribute to each activity, and present the data in year of expenditure dollars and percentages. If applicable, the applicant should identify other Federal funds the applicant is applying for, has been awarded, or intends to use. Funding sources should be grouped into two categories: (1) Requested FSP Program grant and (2) Non-Federal match for the FSP Program grant with specific amounts for each funding source. FRA will not award more funding for a project than is requested in an application. Please note FRA will round down funding requests to the nearest whole dollar.

Applicants must specify whether non-Federal funds are currently available for the project, or if the applicant will need to secure the non-Federal funds upon selection.

Applicants should submit evidence of secured non-Federal funds and other Federal funding (if applicable). Evidence may include a board resolution, letter of support from the State, or a budget document highlighting the line item or section committing funds to the proposed project. The applicant may provide this documentation in an appendix with the application. Any funding commitment letters must be signed by an authorized representative of the entity providing a non-Federal share. For a Major Capital Project, applicants are encouraged to provide an annualized budget in year of expenditure dollars.

The project budget must be specific to the project scope described in the application. If the applicant requests funding for a project that is part of a larger scope, the applicant may reference the larger scope in the project narrative. However, the applicant should only include the project budget for the project scope that funding is requested for under this NOFO.

Applicants should highlight new or revised information in the application responsive to this NOFO that differs from the application(s) to other financial assistance programs, including previous rounds of the FSP Program. Applicants should identify whether an application was previously submitted for any Federal grant programs and/or are currently pending for any programs. Please specify the program(s), funding year(s), and project title of the previous application. Also identify any differences between the applications.

Applicants must also indicate the other program(s) to which they applied or plan to apply for funding.

Applicants should explain whether the requested Federal funding under this NOFO must be obligated or spent by a certain date due to dependencies or relationships with other Federal or non-Federal funding sources, related projects, law, or other factors. The applicant should also indicate whether it anticipates securing financing for the project, as well as what the source, amount, and terms will be. Financing costs (including interest) may be allowable consistent with 2 CFR 200.449. For PFAs, interest and other financing costs may be eligible, provided that such costs are not more than the cost of the most favorable financing terms reasonably available for the project at the time of borrowing, and the applicant has shown reasonable diligence in seeking the most favorable financing terms consistent with 49 U.S.C. 24911(g)(2)(C)(iii). Regardless of any expected financing, if selected, the recipient will still be required to comply with the terms of 2 CFR part 200 and FRA’s Standard Terms and Conditions. If applicable, the applicant should provide the type and estimated value of any proposed in-kind contributions, as well as explain how the contributions meet the requirements in 2 CFR 200.306.

Additionally, applicants should identify and describe Lifecycle Stage(s) and/or project component(s) that could be candidates for subsequent FSP Program funding if such funding becomes available. PFA disbursements are not required to align with specific tasks that have operational independence; although, the project as a whole must achieve operational independence. Applicants are encouraged to identify meaningful milestones by which FRA can measure project progress for each forecasted funding request.

Applicants may use the following tables to describe project funding, and may use additional rows and columns, or additional project funding tables, as appropriate.

Table 3. Example Project Funding Overview.

Task # Task Name/Project

Component and Lifecycle Stage

Cost Percentage of Total Cost

Source of Funds and Citation, as applicable

Total Project Cost

Federal FSP funding requested in this application

Non-Federal Funding Cash:

In-Kind:

Non-Federal Funding (State) Cash:

Non-Federal Funding (Private Sector) Cash:

Non-Federal Funding (Local) Cash:

Other Federal funding committed and pending (e.g., Federal Transit Administration, congressionally directed/earmark, other FRA grant program funds—including previous FSP Program grants, etc.)

Note: If there are multiple sources of other Federal funding, please break funding down by each source.10

Committed Amount:

Pending Amount:

Other Non-Federal Funding

Add additional FYs under Table 3, as appropriate.

Table 4. Example phased project funding agreement.

Lifecycle Stage

Initial Obligation

Request (FY 2024)

FY 2025

Obligation Request

FY 2026

Obligation Request

Total FSP Program Request

Final Design $ $ $ $ Construction $ $ $ $ Total FSP Program Request $ $ $ $

IV. Applicant Eligibility Criteria: Explain how the applicant meets the eligibility criteria outlined in Section 3(a) of this notice. Where applicable, the applicant should include citations to enabling legislation in support of the applicant’s eligibility to receive Federal funds. For public agencies and publicly chartered authorities established by one or more States, the applicant must provide relevant legislative language and citations to the applicable enabling legislation. If the applicant intends to submit a joint application, the application must identify a lead applicant, the other eligible applicant(s), and include a signed statement from an authorized representative of each entity that affirms the entity joins the application.11

For applications involving Amtrak and one or more States, Amtrak and the State(s) must provide a cooperative agreement for the project signed by authorized representatives of Amtrak and each State. Such cooperative agreements must include a description of the roles and responsibilities of each party, including budget and subrecipient information showing how the parties will share project costs.

10 For other Federal funds that will be used for the project, the applicant should identify the Federal program and FY of the funding request(s), as well as highlight new or revised information in the application responsive to this NOFO that differs from the application(s) to other financial assistance programs.

11 See 49 U.S.C. 24911(a)(1)(H).

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2022-title49/pdf/USCODE-2022-title49-subtitleV-partC-chap249-sec24911.pdf

V. Project Eligibility Criteria: Explain how the proposed project meets the project eligibility criteria in Section 3(c) of this notice.

VI. Corridor Identification Program Coordination (if applicable): Applicants who are Corridor Identification and Development (CID) Sponsors must explain the status of the sponsor’s corridor within the CID Program (e.g., completed Step 1, beginning Step 2) in their project narrative. CID Sponsors should explain how the proposed FSP-National project is consistent with the corridor sponsor’s planning efforts under CID and will not preclude any outcomes from planning activities explored under CID. The explanation provided shall demonstrate how the CID Sponsor has the support of participant stakeholders (as identified in the Service Development Plan), governance structure and institutional capacity to implement and maintain on-going service, funding identified for implementation and on-going operations support, and a clearly defined benefit for the Corridor. For applicants who are not CID Sponsors, a letter of support from the CID Sponsor is encouraged. See Section 4(b)(v) for more information.

VII. Detailed Project Description: The applicant must include a detailed project description that expands upon the brief project summary. The applicant should provide, at a minimum: a description of the scope of the requested project, for which funding is being requested in this NOFO; a project schedule showing completed and expected start and end dates for project activities that corresponds to each Lifecycle Stage; additional background on the transportation challenges the project aims to address; a summary of current and proposed railroad operations in the project area, including service frequency and identification of all railroad owners and operators including types of passenger or freight service; the expected users and beneficiaries of the project; proposed project outcomes and any other information the applicant deems necessary to justify the proposed project.

Applicants should provide project outcome data consistent with Table 5, define the project area used, and indicate if the project area changes based on the data table. For example, ridership data may be tracked between passenger stations on either side of the project area, while delays may be tracked according to railroad interlockings on either side of the project area. Applicants are encouraged to provide the requested data to the maximum extent practicable. Appropriate rounding or best estimates are acceptable in instances where precise data is unavailable or to account for possible uncertainty. Where data is not available, applicants may provide a qualitative explanation of the anticipated impact of the project. It is anticipated that the format and prompts of Table 5 remain consistent for both improvements to existing passenger rail services and the development of new passenger rail services. For the latter, the passenger rail baseline or the No Build Scenario would be zero.

Table 5. Project Outcomes.

Ridership in the Project Area No Build Scenario Build Scenario

Total Annual Ridership

Annual Intercity Passenger Rail (IPR) Ridership

Annual Commuter Passenger Rail (CR) Ridership (if applicable)

Train Counts in the Project Area No Build Scenario Build Scenario

Total Weekly Trains Weekly Intercity Passenger Rail (IPR) Trains

Weekly Commuter Rail (CR) Trains (if applicable)

Weekly Freight Trains (if applicable)

Operating Speeds in the Length of Track Improvement Area No

Build, IPR

IPR

No

CR

CR

No Build, Freight

Build, Freight

Average Operating Speed (mph)

Highest Maximum Authorized Speed (mph)

Lowest Maximum Authorized Speed (mph)

Average Scheduled Travel Time (Time/Trip)

VIII. Safety Benefit Data: Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit safety justifications for the project that rely on standardized, objective safety metrics and data, if available, including data from sources such as: GradeDec.Net; National Risk Index; 49 CFR part 234; safety metrics found in Appendix D of 49 CFR part 222; the FRA Safety Data dashboard 12; or other relevant safety data or metrics. FRA will analyze data for each grade crossing, including the detailed history of each crossing's incident history for the past five calendar years (2020-2024), to demonstrate the existing level of risk for each grade crossing proposed for improvement. Grade crossing data, as well as other tools and measures, will be used to better inform selection evaluation. Applicants are encouraged to provide a description of how their proposed project will significantly increase overall safety of the system and/or riders.

12 https://data.transportation.gov/stories/s/FRA-Safety-Data/dakf-i7zd.

https://data.transportation.gov/stories/s/FRA-Safety-Data/dakf-i7zd

IX. Project Location: Applicants must include geospatial data for the project, as well as a map of the project’s location. Geospatial data must be expressed in decimal degrees for latitude and longitude with at least five decimal places of precision. For example, if a project was proposed to take place at the Department of Transportation Headquarters in Washington, DC, then the reported latitude should be 38.87589 and the longitude should be reported as -77.00337. If the project includes a length of track or corridor development, the start and end coordinates for each corridor or segment must be provided. All Congressional districts in which the project will take place should be provided. Milepost, railroad, and subdivision identifiers can also be provided but must be accompanied by corresponding latitudes and longitudes. For projects with multiple locations, the corresponding geospatial data must be included for each location, with individual columns for latitude and longitude, in table form as an attachment to the application.

For any project that includes grade-crossing components, applicants must provide the following information for each grade crossing to be addressed in the application:

• DOT grade crossing inventory number and location using latitude and longitude coordinates, expressed with at least five decimal places of precision. For projects involving pathway-rail grade crossings that do not have DOT grade crossing inventory numbers or data, applicants should provide as much locational data as possible.

• The proposed improvement requested in the application, using “new, separated, closed or improved” (such as gate additions, lights, etc.) to describe proposed improvement;

• The operator(s) (i.e., the entity(ies) that operates on the railroad right-of-way);

• The property/infrastructure owner (i.e., the entity(ies) that owns the underlying property or infrastructure within the railroad right-of-way); and

• 5-year incident history that includes any minor or major accidents, fatalities, and other relevant safety events.

The following table format can be used within the Project Narrative or, if more space is needed, in a separate, unlocked Excel file attachment. The table will not count against the 25-page Project Narrative page limit.

Table 6. Grade Crossing Information for Proposed Project.

DOT Grade Crossing Inventory #

Proposed Improveme nt

Rail Operator( s)

Railroad Owner

Latitude Coordinates (at least five decimal places)

Longitude Coordinates (at least five decimal places)

5 Year Incident History

If applicable, applicants should also provide the page number in the State Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Action Plan where the grade crossing is referenced. Applicants should specify whether the project will result in the elimination of one or more grade crossings through grade separation or otherwise.

X. Evaluation and Selection Criteria: The applicant must include a thorough discussion of how the proposed project meets the evaluation and selection criteria. As described in Section 6, FRA will evaluate applications based on project readiness, technical merit, and project outcome. If an application does not sufficiently address the evaluation and selection criteria, it is unlikely to be a competitive application. Applicants are expected to follow the directions and format requested in this NOFO. Adherence to these directions will be considered in evaluations.

FRA expects applicants to include quantifiable railroad data, such as information on typical daily, weekly, or annual train movement by operator; ridership data for passenger operations; failure or safety incidents; service delays; and primary expected project outcomes such as increased ridership, increased trains, increased speed, reduced delays, improved rail network asset condition and performance, enhanced safety, or similar outcomes and benefits. Applicants may also include qualitative data on accessibility improvements to new or existing assets. To the extent feasible, railroad data should be provided and analyzed discretely for Intercity Rail Passenger Transportation and, if applicable, Commuter Rail Passenger Transportation and freight rail transportation services involved in the proposed project.13 Applicants must organize project outcome data consistent with Table 5.

XI. Project Implementation and Management: Applicants must describe proposed project implementation and project management arrangements. Applicants should provide descriptions of the expected arrangements for project contracting (Construction, maintenance, and operation), contract oversight and control, change-order management, 13 For more information on performance metrics see FRA’s Metrics and Minimum Standards for Intercity Passenger Rail Service, available at: https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/metrics-and-standards-final-rule-november-16-2020.

risk management, and conformance to Federal requirements for project progress reporting.14

Applicants should describe experience in managing and overseeing similar projects, the technical qualifications and demonstrated experience of key personnel proposed to lead and perform the technical efforts, and the qualifications of the primary and supporting organizations to execute the proposed project fully and successfully within the proposed timeframe and budget, including a discussion of the factors in 2 CFR 200.206(b) and the proposed approach to assessing and mitigating project risk.

Applicants should explain how they will fulfill responsibilities that continue after closeout of the award such as use, maintenance and disposition of property acquired or improved…