Capital Assistance to States - Intercity Passenger Rail Service

To provide financial assistance to fund capital improvements (and related planning activities) necessary to support improved or new intercity passenger rail service.

The Capital Assistance to States - Intercity Passenger Rail Service Grant Program provided funding for the cost of capital investments and limited planning activities necessary to support improved intercity passenger rail services. This program increased the states' role in intercity passenger rail development by establishing the first federal-state partnership for intercity passenger rail investment.

To be eligible for this assistance, States must include intercity passenger rail service as an integral part of statewide transportation planning as required under section 135 of title 23, United States Code. To be eligible for capital assistance, the specific project must be on the Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan at the time of the application to qualify. State departments of transportation and other public agencies, although private transportation companies may participate through contractual arrangements with a State department of transportation.

To be eligible for this assistance, States must include intercity passenger rail service as an integral part of statewide transportation planning as required under section 135 of title 23, United States Code. To be eligible for capital assistance, the specific project must be on the Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan at the time of the application to qualify. State departments of transportation and other public agencies, although private transportation companies may participate through contractual arrangements with a State department of transportation.

Assistance can be used to develop projects, programs and planning. This includes Projects which will result in the creation of new or substantially improved High-Speed Rail/Intercity Passenger Rail service, and will provide tangible and measurable benefits, such as on-time performance improvements, travel-time reductions and higher service frequencies resulting in increased ridership. Final Design, the last phase of project development, includes right-of-way acquisition, utility relocation, the preparation of final design plans, construction management plans, system safety plans for construction management and operations, safety certification, any required collision hazard analysis, final construction cost estimates and detail specifications, as well as procurement of construction services and equipment. 100% of the funds are set aside for discretionary activities.

No restriction on period of time the assistance normally is available. Assistance is awarded upon request for reimbursement. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Funding is obligated through cooperative agreements, and outlays occur as reimbursement. Funding will only be obligated and disbursed as milestones are achieved.

Preapplication coordination is required. An environmental impact statement is required for this listing. An environmental impact assessment is required for this listing. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372. Prospective applicants may contact FRA prior to submission of applications to inquire about applicant eligibility, the competitive prospects of their proposed project, the National Environmental Policy Act and related legal requirements, and other requirements. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Once an application is received, it will proceed through a three-step process. Screening for completeness and eligibility (both applicant and project eligibility); Evaluation panel review process, applying evaluation criteria; and Final review and selection, applying selection criteria. All selection criteria will be specified in Federal Register notices announcing the availability of funding pursuant to this program, and shall include, but shall not be limited to, prioritizing criteria defined in relevant law, and criteria intended to ensure the timely completion of funding projects and the full realization of the benefits the projects are intended to generate.

Review the application package to ensure that all required documents are complete and signed by the appropriate person. Review the statement of work (SOW) and budget to ensure the appropriation language requirements are met. Review SOW for technical issues and budget for appropriate costs, including compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and related laws and orders. Compare applications to determine relative satisfaction of published selection criteria. Select the applicants that are most qualified. After the application package is acceptable to both parties, a grant agreement is drafted, reviewed, and signed upon agreement by both parties.

FRA is committed to responding to applicants in a reasonable and timely manner. Response times will vary based on size, scope, complexity and volume of applications. No awards were made in FY 2024/2025 or anticipated in the future.