Washington, D.C. — The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has released a major new funding opportunity under its renamed National Railroad Partnership Program (NRPP)—formerly known as the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail (FSP). With more than $5 billion available, this grant round represents a significant opportunity for communities to invest in grade crossing safety and other intercity passenger rail (IPR) infrastructure improvements.
Applications are due January 7, 2026. If your community has crossings along passenger routes, now is the time to prepare. If you are unsure of whether your crossing project is on a passenger route, use this tool to check.
What’s New in NRPP?
The biggest change? The FRA is explicitly prioritizing safety, including grade crossing improvements. While NRPP has historically focused on larger intercity rail projects, this round makes clear that crossing upgrades and separations that benefit IPR routes are now fair game for funding.
That makes this program especially relevant to local and state governments, particularly those with crossings on or near Amtrak lines.
“We’re always looking for win-wins,” said a member of the FRA grant team in a recent webinar, encouraging projects that benefit both passenger rail and host freight railroads.
Application Tips from FRA
FRA staff shared several best practices and key pitfalls during their recent webinar. Here are the highlights:
- Include a clear IPR connection. Projects must benefit intercity passenger rail — not commuter rail — or they’ll be disqualified.
- Get the scope right. “We can’t pay for something twice,” the FRA emphasized, referring to projects that are insufficiently scoped at the outset.
- Secure a strong funding match. Insufficient matching funds are a common reason for rejections.
- Use FRA resources. “The best advice I can give you is to use our templates,” said one FRA official. Their narrative guide, benefit-cost analysis (BCA) tool, and GIS mapping tool can all save time and reduce errors.
- Speak FRA. Use their terminology and structure when writing the application. Avoid jargon and align with how FRA talks about data and project benefits.
- Back it up with data. The agency strongly encourages use of their new safety data page and will heavily weigh the five-year incident history of a crossing.
- Include a letter of support from the host railroad, especially for projects on shared-use lines.
- Request a debrief if your application isn’t selected—FRA offers feedback to help improve future submissions.
Which Program Should You Apply To?
Communities pursuing grade crossing projects should consider applying to NRPP, CRISI, and RCE. “The application requirements are similar,” the FRA shared, “and you can apply to more than one.”
That said, grade separations on IPR routes are particularly well-suited for NRPP, given the scale of available funding and program goals. CRISI and RCE remain excellent options as well—especially for freight-heavy or early-stage projects.
Get Help from GoRail
To help communities navigate NRPP, GoRail has developed a new [Application Guide (PDF)] with key eligibility info, templates, and pro tips straight from FRA. And don’t forget to check out our Rail Grant Hub—your one-stop shop for deadlines, webinars, and case studies.
With billions on the table and a clear focus on safety, now is the time to take action. If your community is ready to make a crossing safer or improve passenger rail access, the NRPP could be your path forward.
