FRA directs $5.3B to rail projects across 23 states, including Texas

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced this month that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is putting $5.3 billion into rail projects across the country, covering safety upgrades, infrastructure repairs and new Amtrak equipment – and Texas is set to get a sizable chunk of cash. 

About $2 billion of that total comes from funds freed up after the department previously pulled federal support for California’s high-speed rail project. 

The funding will close more than 30 highway-rail crossings completely and upgrade infrastructure and technology at more than 1,000 more. The FRA will also purchase 43 new U.S.-built Amtrak trainsets, replacing older equipment on several high-demand routes. 

The agency will also fund the overhaul of 41 locomotives currently servicing Amtrak’s Midwest and Pacific routes. 

While planning the distribution of funds, the FRA prioritized high-risk crossings for closure or replacement, defining those as crossings with three or more documented accidents, or two or more fatal accidents, over the last five years. The agency also noted that grade crossings, where the rail line and road are at the same level, are the second-leading cause of rail-related deaths and therefore received particular attention. 

More than 2,000 accidents and 200 fatalities occur at grade crossings in the U.S. every year, according to the FRA. 

Of the total funding package, $2.05 billion will purchase the 43 new trainsets, with $140 million earmarked for overhauling the 41 others. Officials note the equipment being replaced is between 40 and 50 years old. 

The investment comes as Amtrak separately works to reorganize its management into three divisions, one of which will oversee the rail fleet. DOT officials note that the new trainsets are expected to increase availability and could ultimately lower ticket costs through a dynamic pricing model. 

The Amtrak routes slated to receive new trainsets include: Adirondack, Blue Water, Carolinian, Cascades, three Washington, D.C.-based routes serving Newport News, Norfolk and Roanoke, the Downeaster, Empire, Ethan Allen, Hartford Line, Hiawatha, Illini/Saluki, Illinois Zephyr, Keystone, Lincoln, Pennsylvanian, Pere Marquette, Piedmont, River Runner and Wolverine. 

As for individual awards, the FRA issued funding to 41 projects across 23 states. The larger projects by cost include: 

• $356 million — Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), for repairs at up to 910 highway-rail grade crossings. 
• $299 million — North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), eliminating nine grade crossings, adding double-track segments and funding trespassing-prevention efforts. 
• $189 million — Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), eliminating nine grade crossings in the Fort Worth, Dallas and Terrell area. 
• $40 million — City of Fairfield, Ohio, closing two grade crossings and building a new bridge over a CSX rail line. 
• $39 million — Hays County, Texas, to build a grade-separated bridge. 

The awards were issued through the National Railroad Partnership Program, which funds projects that improve rail safety and upgrade infrastructure to a workable state. Eligible applicants include state governments, interstate compacts, public transit agencies, Amtrak and federally recognized tribes, among others. 

The FRA opened the funding opportunity last September and received 103 applications from 78 applicants requesting a combined $11.66 billion, more than double what the agency ultimately awarded. 

The FRA has not released a construction timeline for individual projects, but the agency noted that additional details, including the full list of selected projects, are posted on its website. 

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