June 5, 2026 - TRA Newswire -

Early and late June mark deadlines to submit applications for $2 billion in available federal funding to eliminate or significantly improve at-grade rail crossings and for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) grant program. 

We're keeping our fingers crossed to see how much the Texas Department of Transportation will benefit from applications that have been submitted. 

The Federal Railroad Administration's Crossing Elimination (RCE) / Crossing Safety Program closes the application window on June 8th with a swift turnaround expected this summer for approval of $1 billion in grants for safety upgrades, closures, grade separations, and related planning work. 

June 22nd is the closing date for CRISI applications. Another $1 billion will be in the pipeline. Those funds are designed to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of intercity passenger and the national freight rail network.

At the Southwestern Rail Conference last month, TxDOT Rail Division Director Don Franks, acknowledged that the state agency has a number of rail projects that could qualify under the federal grant programs.

The rail division received a first-time ever $250 million boost last year when the 89th Texas legislature approved the Statewide Off-System Grade Separation Grant Program.  The grants are for crossings that are not on the TxDOT network and designed to target high-rail-activity communities to improve safety, relieve congestion and fuel economic growth.

In the first call for submissions, the rail division received 58 applications from 37 entities, totaling some $2.5 billion, oversubscribed by 10 to 1. The Texas Transportation Commission awarded five projects to date, totaling $160 million.

$ 89.6 million is being held in reserve to leverage with future federal grants.

Of those, 20 urban projects valued at $1.5 billion, 5 rural projects ($238 million) and 9 pedestrian crossing improvements ($60.5 million) are "shovel ready".

If the stars line up in the federal grant funding announcements later this summer, Texas could see that $90 million significantly leveraged with FRA funding added to the mix. 

 This round of funding will represent the final authorization for the program under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), established in 2021.  

Eligible applicants are public entities, including states, cities, counties, metropolitan planning organizations, port authorities, and Tribal governments. Railroads remain key partners but cannot apply directly. All grants require a minimum 20 percent non-federal cost share, and most projects must request at least $1 million, except for planning-only awards. 

The federal railroad agency evaluates applications using three broad criteria: project readiness, technical merit and pProject benefits, especially safety improvements.