Railroad Development
Active
- Assistance listing
- 20.314
- Agency
-
Federal Railroad Administration
Department of Transportation
- Grant awards
- 107 $1,120,555,086 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Project Grant
- Cooperative Agreement
- Treasury account
-
- 69-8083-0-1-401
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration funds railroad development activities through Assistance Listing 20.314, with the most recent grant award disbursed on August 1, 2025.
The program finances planning, environmental studies, rail equipment purchases, rail line relocations and improvements, bridge rehabilitation and reconstruction, grade crossing safety enhancements, and infrastructure projects that enhance service and add capacity to the national rail system. Recent awards illustrate the scope: a $430.7 million Hudson Yards Concrete Casing project supporting doubled passenger capacity on the Northeast Corridor between Newark and Penn Station; a $94.2 million Salmon Bay Bridge rehabilitation extending the movable span's life by 50 years; a $208.6 million industrial rail line connecting Camp Hall Commerce Park to CSX infrastructure in rural South Carolina; and a $56.3 million downtown safety and connectivity improvement project. Smaller awards address grade crossing safety upgrades, bridge truss repairs, and intermodal facility enhancements. The program is predominantly project-oriented and non-renewable.
FRA is the sole funding source, obligating $1.12 billion in combined federal and non-federal dollars totaling $2.12 billion across 107 awards since 2003. The assistance-type mix leans toward Project Grants (69 percent of awards) with a substantial share of Cooperative Agreements (31 percent). Award volume has ranged from one to four per year over the past five years, with two awards in 2025 and three in both 2021 and 2023. Recent typical awards range from $1.5 million for targeted grade crossing work to $430 million for major corridor projects, with a median around $18–20 million for infrastructure construction.
An open solicitation was posted September 3, 2026 (FR-RLD-26-001) for the Atlantic Gateway Arlington to Alexandria Fourth Track project, due September 11, 2026, targeting construction of approximately six miles of new fourth track on the CSX Richmond Subdivision. Most recent closed opportunities included FY25 and FY24 funding rounds posted in late 2024 and mid-2024, serving state departments of transportation, regional rail commissions, and specialized rail development entities.
Objective and description
- Objective
To provide financial assistance for: planning and developing railroad corridors (including environmental studies), purchasing rail equipment, rail line relocation and improvement projects, construction projects that improve rail lines, enhance servic
- Description
To provide financial assistance for: planning and developing railroad corridors (including environmental studies), purchasing rail equipment, rail line relocation and improvement projects, construction projects that improve rail lines, enhance service, and add capacity to the national rail system, capital construction, rehabilitation and improvements benefiting train operations.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
State governments (includes District of Columbia); Regional and Local governments (excludes institutions of higher education and hospitals); For-profit organizations, such as railroads.
- Beneficiary eligibility
State governments Regional and local governments For-profit organizations, such as railroads.
- Uses of assistance
(1) The financial assistance may fund, but is not limited to, rehabilitation or construction of railroads, including planning activities and associated studies. (2) The financial assistance may also fund freight projects of national or regional significance such as railway-highway grade crossing or grade separation projects; or a freight project that is (1) an intermodal or rail project or (2) within the boundaries of a public or private freight rail, water, or intermodal facility.
- Use restrictions
The restriction is based on the period of performance as outlined in the grant award. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Assistance is usually awarded upon request for reimbursement. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: ACH reimbursement
- Length and time phasing of assistance
The restriction is based on the period of performance as outlined in the grant award. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Assistance is usually awarded upon request for reimbursement.
How to apply
- Preapplication coordination
Preapplication coordination is required. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Typical criteria in descending order of relative importance: (1) Degree to which it may improve upon or advance railroad safety; (2) Overall scientific and/technical merit; (3) Likelihood for its near term adoption and implementation of possible recommendations; (4) Degree to which the proposed project fits into the Administration's overall research objectives: (5) Reasonableness and realism of the proposed cost, and the availability of funds (to include due consideration for proposed cost-sharing by the applicant).
- Award procedure
FRA will contact applicants with successful applications with information and instructions about the award process. This notification is not an authorization to begin proposed project activities. A formal grant agreement or cooperative agreement signed by both the grantee and the FRA, including an approved scope, schedule, and budget, is required before the award is considered complete.
- Time to approval or disapproval
Not Applicable. Grants contemplated in this program are predominantly project-oriented rather than on-going efforts and are therefore non-renewable.
- Renewals
Grants contemplated in this program are predominantly project-oriented rather than on-going efforts and are therefore non-renewable.
Grant opportunities
Show all 24
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 107 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Railroad Passenger Corporation | $292,171,040 | 26% |
| 2 | Moynihan Station Development Corporation | $198,393,245 | 18% |
| 3 | Maryland Department Of Transportation | $125,899,886 | 11% |
| 4 | Alaska Railroad Corporation | $105,060,865 | 9% |
| 5 | Virginia Department Of Rail And Public Transportation | $45,000,000 | 4% |
| 6 | Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority | $37,300,404 | 3% |
| 7 | City Of Seattle | $36,575,236 | 3% |
| 8 | City Of Flagstaff | $32,460,000 | 3% |
| 9 | Washington ST Department Of Transportation | $26,644,253 | 2% |
| 10 | SC Public Railway | $25,000,000 | 2% |
10 of 48 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2025 | $123,367,702 |
| FY2024 | $293,939,600 |
| FY2023 | $5,414,472 |
| FY2022 | $110,649,286 |
| FY2021 | $24,163,487 |
| FY2020 | $22,889,989 |
| FY2019 | $44,999,915 |
| FY2018 | $57,590,474 |
| FY2017 | $25,148,030 |
| FY2016 | $31,561,467 |
| FY2014 | $17,169,795 |
| FY2013 | $279,618 |
| FY2012 | $50,089,415 |
| FY2011 | $63,240,443 |
| FY2010 | $16,666,888 |
| FY2009 | $61,104,184 |
| FY2008 | $44,200,000 |
| FY2007 | $11,948,645 |
| FY2006 | $21,252,536 |
| FY2004 | $1,962,303 |
| FY2003 | $248,375 |
Show all 21
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 20.314?
Assistance Listing 20.314 is Railroad Development, a federal grant program run by Federal Railroad Administration (Department of Transportation).
What is the CFDA number for Railroad Development?
Its CFDA number is 20.314: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 20.314 awarded?
107 grant awards under 20.314 have obligated $1,120,555,086 in federal funds to 48 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 20.314?
The recipients obligated the most under Railroad Development are National Railroad Passenger Corporation ($292,171,040), Moynihan Station Development Corporation ($198,393,245) and Maryland Department Of Transportation ($125,899,886).
How much did 20.314 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 20.314 obligated $123,367,702 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 20.314?
No opportunity listed under 20.314 is open now. The latest, FY26 Atlantic Gateway, Arlington to Alexandria Fourth Track - CMAQ Funds, was posted on September 3, 2026.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
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