FRA announces funding for ‘State of Good Repair’ rail projects

Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair Program (Partnership Program). The NOFO makes more than $272 million in grant funding available.

“It is important for rail infrastructure owners and operators to plan for the maintenance and replacement of their assets,” said FRA Administrator Ronald L. Batory. “The Department particularly recognizes the opportunity to reduce risk and enhance safety through this grant program.”

This $272,250,000 NOFO will assist in funding capital projects to repair, replace, or rehabilitate publicly-owned railroad assets, and to improve intercity passenger rail performance. Eligible projects include those that replace existing assets in-kind; replace existing assets with those that increase capacity or provide a higher level of service; and those that ensure existing assets maintain service while being brought into a state of good repair.

Applications for capital projects funding under this solicitation must be submitted via www.Grants.gov and are due no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on Monday, March 18, 2019. Prior to the application deadline, FRA plans to provide web-based training and technical assistance to answer questions from applicants.

Federal funds awarded under this NOFO must not exceed 80 percent of the total cost of a project. The required 20 percent non-Federal share may be composed of public sector or private sector funding, or both.

In addition, selection preference will be given to projects where Amtrak is not the sole applicant; multiple applicants submit applications jointly; the proposed federal share of total project costs does not exceed 50 percent; non-federal shares consist of funding from multiple sources, including private sources; and applications indicate strong project readiness.

The Department will also consider how well the project aligns with key Departmental priorities, including supporting economic vitality, leveraging federal funding, using innovative approaches to improve safety and expedite project delivery, and holding grant recipients accountable for achieving specific and measurable outcomes.

For more information, see the NOFO at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/11/16/2018-25044/notice-of-funding-opportunity-for-the-federal-state-partnership-for-state-of-good-repair-program.