The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcing the availability of $139 million in funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the Special Transportation Circumstances (STC) grant program. As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, this program will provide federal funding for projects to upgrade and safeguard rail infrastructure in Alaska, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
The STC program provides grant funding to states that lack intercity passenger rail service or are not connected to the national rail system and includes projects such as upgrading avalanche safety systems, supporting lumber transport, and installing culverts. Funding for STC projects is set aside from appropriations for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI), Restoration and Enhancement (R&E), Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE), and Interstate Rail Compact (IRC) programs. These investments in communities will play a crucial role in increasing safety while strengthening the supply chain by moving goods faster and at a lower cost.
“With this program, the DOT is continuing its commitment to supporting infrastructure investments in rural communities,” FRA Administrator Amit Bose said. “This funding will create jobs, grow local economies, and increase rail safety and efficiency in states where geography and other circumstances create unique needs.”
This notice makes available funding for eligible projects through the Consolidated Appropriations Acts of 2017 through 2023. Federal funds awarded to projects may cover up to 80 percent of the total project cost. This announcement is part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, which is growing the American economy from the bottom up and middle-out – from rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, to driving over $500 billion in private-sector manufacturing and clean energy investments in the United States, to creating well-paying jobs and building a clean-energy economy that will combat climate change and make our communities safe and more resilient. Click here for more information.
Applications to the program are due to FRA no later than September 29, 2023, at 5 p.m. ET. The NOFO, which contains detailed information about the grant application process, is on public inspection in the Federal Register here.