October 7, 2024 - TRA Newswire -

Texas Rail Advocates has been told that, as of now, the Texas Department of Transportation will not be participating in a Federal/State Partnership Program where the state could receive a share of $1 Billion dollars in funding for passenger rail projects.

The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), made October 1 by the Federal Railroad Administration, would have allowed Texas to apply for a share of $1 Billion for passenger rail projects to expand or improve the performance of existing service, establish new service, or replace or rehabilitate infrastructure. 

Projects could also address safety or reliability and can include planning elements such as environmental reviews or final designs. The new funding is part of the $66 Billion carved out of the Infrastructure bill passed by Congress for rail projects. 

TRA asked TxDOT about the $1 Billion rail funding opportunity that could benefit existing and future passenger rail development and was told that there are no existing plans to apply for the grants at this time. Tick-tock...... applications for a share of the grants must be received by the Federal Railroad Administration in less than two months.

The NOFO covering the funds can be found at the Federal Railroad Administration website and also at the Federal Grants website. All applications for the $1 Billion available in grants must be submitted by December 16, 2024.

A grant, if it was submitted by TxDOT, could benefit the existing partnered service with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, the daily Heartland Flyer passenger service between Fort Worth, Gainesville and Oklahoma City. It could involve a project to modernize the existing train cars, improve intercity passenger rail service performance, including reduced trip times, increased train frequencies, higher operating speeds, improved reliability, expanded capacity, and reduced congestion on I-35.

In a news release, FRA Administrator Amit Bose said “This funding addresses infrastructure needs, reduces congestion, and expands access to reliable transportation options for people living in underserved regions, all while honoring FRA’s commitment to working with states, Tribes, and stakeholders to reshape America’s rail network and lay the foundation for its future.”

The Federal-State Partnership program dates back to 2017 and was authorized in Sections 11103 and 11302 of the Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2015 (Title XI of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, Pub. L. No. 114-94 (2015)); 49 U.S.C. § 24911.