The Latest
Your bulletin board for announcements, deadlines, news, and learning opportunities related to rail funding opportunities.

Learn

Webinar: “Crossing to Success: Navigating the Rail Crossing Elimination Program


Learn

Webinar: “Navigating the U.S. DOT Grant Process”


Funding Breakdown
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding levels over five years for rail-related grants. Authorized funding requires additional congressional appropriation of funds.
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The Fine Print
A detailed look at the grant programs. Click on each category to see more.
Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI)

Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI)

Program total: $10 billion
  • Statutory Authority: 49 U.S.C. 22907
  • Type of Grant: Discretionary
  • Managing Agency: Federal Railroad Administration
  • Selection Status: FY22 Selections Announced 9/25/23
  • Application Status: FY23-24 NOFO Announced 3/29/24; Deadline 5/28/24
Grade Crossing Elimination Program*

Grade Crossing Elimination Program*

Program total: $5.5 billion
  • Statutory Authority: 49 U.S.C. 22909
  • Type of Grant: Discretionary
  • Managing Agency: Federal Railroad Administration
  • Selection Status: FY23-24 Selections Expected end-December 2024
  • Application Status: FY23-24 Deadline 9/23/24 (see most recent NOFO)
National Culvert Removal, Replacement, & Restoration Grant*

National Culvert Removal, Replacement, & Restoration Grant*

Program total: $5 billion
  • Statutory Authority: 49 U.S.C. 6703
  • Type of Grant: Discretionary
  • Managing Agency: Federal Highway Administration
  • Application Status: FY22 Deadline Passed 2/7/23
Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA)

Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA)

Program total: $14 billion
  • Statutory Authority: 23 U.S.C. 117
  • Type of Grant: Discretionary
  • Managing Agency: Office of the Secretary (Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy)
  • Application Status: FY23 Deadline Passed 8/21/23
Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail

Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail

Program total: $42.5 billion
  • Statutory Authority: 49 U.S.C. 24911
  • Type of Grant: Discretionary
  • Managing Agency: Federal Railroad Administration
  • Selection Status: FY22-23 National Selections Announced December 2023; FY22-23 NEC Selections Announced November 2023
  • Application Status: FY24 NEC NOFO Expected April 2024; FY24 National NOFO Expected October 2024
National Infrastructure Project Assistance (Megaprojects or MEGA)*

National Infrastructure Project Assistance (Megaprojects or MEGA)*

Program total: $15 billion
  • Statutory Authority: 49 U.S.C. 6701
  • Type of Grant: Discretionary
  • Managing Agency: Office of the Secretary (Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy)
  • Application Status: FY23 Deadline Passed 8/21/23
Port Infrastructure Development

Port Infrastructure Development

  • Statutory Authority: 46 U.S.C. 50302
  • Type of Grant: Discretionary
  • Managing Agency: Maritime Administration
  • Selection Status: FY24 Selections Expected Fall 2023
  • Application Status: FY23 Deadline Passed 4/28/23
Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE)*

Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE)*

Program total: $15 billion
  • Statutory Authority: 49 U.S.C. 6702
  • Type of Grant: Discretionary
  • Managing Agency: Office of the Secretary (Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy)
  • Selection Status: FY22 Selections Announced 6/28/23
  • Application Status: FY23 NOFO Not Announced
Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART)*

Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART)*

Program total: $1 billion
  • Statutory Authority:
  • Type of Grant: Discretionary
  • Managing Agency: Office of the Secretary (Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy)
  • Application Status: FY23 NOFO Announced 8/14/23; Deadline 10/10/23
Rural Surface Transportation Grant*

Rural Surface Transportation Grant*

Program total: $2 billion
  • Statutory Authority: 23 U.S.C. 173
  • Type of Grant: Discretionary
  • Managing Agency: Office of the Secretary
  • Application Status: FY23 Deadline Passed 8/21/23

*New program from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Take Our Crossing Grant Survey

Take Our Crossing Grant Survey

The Federal Railroad Administration's Grade Crossing Elimination Program provides $5.5 billion over five years ($600 million for FY22) to state and local applicants for grade crossing projects that improve the safety and mobility of people and goods. Use our six-question survey tool to learn more about the program and determine whether your community may be eligible to receive funding for a crossing project.

Grant Glossary
Grant Terms at a Glance

Cost sharing or matching

The portion of project costs not paid by federal funds (unless otherwise authorized by federal statute). This may include the value of allowable third party in-kind contributions, as well as expenditures by the recipient.

Discretionary grant

An award for which the federal awarding agency may select the recipient from among all eligible recipients, may decide to make or not make an award based on the programmatic, technical, or scientific content of an application, and can decide the amount of funding to be provided to carry out project activities.

Fiscal year

Federal budget year: October 1 to September 30.

Local government

Any unit of government within a state, including a: (1) County; (2) Borough; (3) Municipality; (4) City; (5) Town; (6) Township; (7) Parish; (8) Local public authority, including any public housing agency under the United States Housing Act of 1937; (9) Special district; (10) School district; (11) Intrastate district; (12) Council of governments, whether or not incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under state law; and (13) Any other agency or instrumentality of a multi-, regional, or intra-state or local government.

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

A publicly available document by which a federal agency makes known its intentions to award discretionary grants or cooperative agreements, usually as a result of competition for funds. Notices of Funding Opportunities may be known as program announcements, notices of funding availability, requests for applications, solicitations, etc. The NOFO issuance date is the date it posts to Grants.gov.

Outlays or expenditures

The allowable charges made to the federally sponsored project or program.

Review criteria

Critical elements of the grant program presented in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The criteria assist the applicant in presenting pertinent information and provide the reviewer with a standard for evaluating an application.

Special consideration 

A special consideration is defined as the enhancement of priority scores by peer reviewers based on the extent to which the application addresses areas of concern in a discretionary program.

Third-party in-kind contributions

The value of non-cash contributions (i.e., property or services) that: (1) Benefit a federally assisted project or program; and (2) Are contributed by non-federal third parties, without charge, to a non-federal entity under a federal award