The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) that makes available $2.03 billion in Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program Funding for Projects Located on the Northeast Corridor (Fed State-NEC). The corridor supports 800,000 passengers per day and billions of dollars in annual economic activity.
The available funding builds on historic Northeast Corridor investments by the Biden-Harris Administration, including funding to advance major projects like the Gateway Program Hudson River Tunnel Project in New York and New Jersey, the Fredrick Douglass Tunnel and Susquehanna River Bridge Replacement Programs in Maryland, the Connecticut River Bridge Replacement in Connecticut and the New York Penn Station Access Project.
“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. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “With more than $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.”
In 2023, FRA awarded $16.4 billion for 25 projects of national significance along the corridor, which runs from Boston, Mass., to Washington, D.C. The 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 NEC Project Inventory serves as a project pipeline to assist Amtrak, states and the public in long-term capital planning for the NEC. NEC Projects must be included in the latest version of the inventory to be eligible for Fed State-NEC funding.
Applications for funding are due July 14. Fed State-NEC Program requirements, as well as the evaluation and selection criteria for grant selections are outlined in the NOFO. FRA will also support applicants with web-based training and live technical assistance.
More information on the Fed State-NEC program, as well as the latest NEC Project Inventory, which FRA updated last month, can be found here.
