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Dive brief:
- The US Department of Transportation opened applications for $4.7 billion in grants for rail projects along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor and $2 billion to modernize passenger and freight rail in the United States.
- Funding comes from the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program and the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program, both funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.
- Separately, Amtrak asked rail car manufacturers to bid on a contract to begin replacing nearly 50-year-old cars on its long-distance trains.
Diving knowledge:
Although President Donald Trump’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposal cuts Amtrak funding by 82 percent and zeroes out funding for the Intercity Passenger Rail grant program, the DOT is moving projects forward with funding from the Biden-era legislation and congressional appropriations.
The first round of applications for Northeast Corridor projects will focus on renovations to New York Penn Station and Washington Union Station, along with other high-priority station projects, the DOT said in a news release. The DOT took control of the Penn Station project last year and owns and operates Washington Union Station.
“The Northeast Corridor is the busiest and most complex rail line in America,” Federal Railroad Administrator David Fink said in a statement. The passenger rail aid program also includes projects that increase train frequencies and speeds, establish new rail service and improve maintenance.
Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor trains carried 15.2 million passengers in fiscal year 2025.
CRISI grants are open to projects that “reduce congestion and facilitate ridership growth in intercity rail passenger transportation along heavily traveled rail corridors,” improve highway and railroad grade crossings, improve connections between intercity rail and bus services, and other projects focused on the safety and reliability of intercity passenger rail and freight rail, according to the Opportunity Notice of Funding.
“From the suburbs to rural communities, we want to equip our partners with the resources they need to modernize our rail infrastructure,” Fink said in a statement.
“Given the demonstrated demand from local governments looking to expand and upgrade service, we fully expect states to take full advantage of this funding opportunity to advance corridors across America,” said Sean Jeans-Gail, vice president of Policy and Government Affairs for the Rail Passengers Association in an email to Smart Cities Dive. Amtrak plans to replace its aging long-distance fleet with more than 800 new cars serving 14 routes. The double-decker wagons in the existing fleet will be replaced by standardized single-decker vehicles.
“This new approach will deliver a more consistent and accessible customer experience across Amtrak’s network, maintaining our commitment to introduce the first new long-distance cars in the early 2030s,” Amtrak President Roger Harris said in a February statement. Sources told Smart Cities Dive that the initial investment in the new fleet will be at least $7 billion, with funding expected to come from the IIJA.
