FRA Makes More Than $2 Billion Available to Improve Busiest Passenger Rail Corridor

FRA has issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) that makes available more than $2 billion in Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program funding for projects located on the Northeast Corridor (Fed State-NEC). The corridor supports several hundred thousand passengers per day and billions of dollars in annual economic activity. Modernizing this critical infrastructure to provide safer, faster, and more reliable passenger rail service for travelers and commuters is a key part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.

“Hundreds of thousands of passengers travel along the Northeast Corridor every day, and the Biden-Harris Administration is funding much-needed improvements to this vital rail corridor,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “With over $2 billion becoming available today, we will build on investments initiated last year and continue propelling America’s busiest passenger rail corridor towards greater speed, safety, and reliability.”

Last year, FRA awarded $16.4 billion for 25 projects of national significance along the corridor, which runs from Boston, MA, to Washington, DC. These investments will rebuild tunnels and bridges that are more than 100 years old; upgrade tracks, power systems, signals, stations, and other infrastructure; and advance future projects to significantly improve travel times by increasing operating speeds and reducing delays.

“The President’s investments in rail will be felt by generations to come, beginning with immediate benefits to communities and continuing to ensure essential rail corridors like the Northeast Corridor are modern, safe, and convenient, giving Americans access to world-class passenger service,” said FRA Administrator Amit Bose. “We are thrilled to announce the opening of the Fed State-NEC’s notice of funding to applicants within the NEC Project Inventory, streamlining the process for much-needed funding based on demand.”

Competitive funding through the Fed State-NEC program is guided by FRA’s NEC Project Inventory, which identifies and prioritizes projects along the corridor. The latest NEC Project Inventory, which FRA updated last month, can be found here. The NOFO is published in the Federal Register here. Applications for funding are due in 60 days. Learn more about the Fed State-NEC Program here.