April 29, 2026 - TRA Newswire -

Staff from the Federal Railroad Administration will be on hand at the 22nd Annual Southwestern Rail Conference May 18-19 to answer your questions about two major Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for freight and passenger rail.  

Interested parties from city, council, regional and state entities or from the private sector can have a one-on-one conversation with FRA staffers about grant applications for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program and the Crossing Safety Program / Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) Grant Program.

FRA staff will be able to answer questions on qualifications and how to submit grant applications during their "Office Hours" outreach program. The annual all-rail conference covers both freight and passenger rail issues and will be held at the Hurst Texas Conference Center, in Dallas-Fort Worth, May 18 and 19.

Registration for the conference is still available at: https://www.texasrailadvocates.org/events/2026-southwestern-rail-conference/

CRISI grant applications are being accepted through June 22, 2026 with a potential total of $2,039,246,480 to be awarded. The CRISI program provides funding for capital projects that improve passenger and freight rail transportation systems in terms of safety, efficiency, or reliability.

RCE grant applications are being accepted through June 8, 2026 with a potential total of $1,146,528,000 to be awarded. The Crossing Safety Program provides funding for highway-rail or pathway-rail grade crossing improvement projects that focus on improving the safety and mobility of people and goods.

For the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program

Projects eligible for funding under this grant program include, but are not limited to:

• Deployment of railroad safety technology;
• Capital projects, as defined in section 49 U.S.C. § 24401(2) for intercity passenger rail service, except that a project under this NOFO is not required to be in a state rail plan; 
• Capital projects that: 
  • address congestion challenges affecting rail service,
  • reduce congestion and facilitate ridership growth along heavily traveled rail corridors, and/or
  • improve short-line or regional railroad infrastructure;
• Highway-rail grade crossing improvement projects;
• Rail line relocation and improvement projects;
• Regional rail and corridor service development plans and environmental analyses;
• Any project necessary to enhance multimodal connections or facilitate service integration between rail service and other modes;
• The development and implementation of a safety program or institute;
• The development and implementation of measures to prevent trespassing;
• Any research that the Secretary considers necessary to advance any particular aspect of rail related capital, operations, or safety improvements;
• Workforce development and training activities, coordinated to the extent practicable with the existing local training programs supported by the Department of Transportation, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Education;
• Research, development, and testing to advance and facilitate innovative rail projects;
• Preparation of emergency plans for communities where hazardous materials are transported by rail; and
• Rehabilitating, remanufacturing, procuring or overhauling locomotives for emissions reduction.

Eligible Recipients:

(1)       State (including DC);
(2)       Group of States;
(3)       Interstate Compact;
(4)       Public agency or publicly chartered authority established by one or more States;
(5)       Political subdivision of a State;
(6)       Amtrak or another rail carrier that provides intercity rail passenger transportation;
(7)       Class II railroad or Class III railroad, a holding company of a Class II or Class III railroad, or an association representing a Class II or III railroad; 
(8)       A federally recognized Indian Tribe;
(9)       Any rail carrier or rail equipment manufacturer in partnership with at least one of the entities described in (1) through (5);
(10)     Transportation Research Board together with any entity with which it contracts in the development of rail-related research, including cooperative research programs;
(11)     University transportation center engaged in rail-related research; or
(12)     Non-profit labor organization representing a class or craft of employees of rail carriers or rail carrier contractors.

For the  Crossing Safety Program / Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) Grant Program

Projects eligible for funding under this grant program include, but are not limited to:

• Grade separation or closure, including through the use of a bridge, embankment, tunnel, or combination thereof;
• Track relocation;
• Improvement or installation of protective devices, signals, signs, or other; 
• Measures to improve safety related to a separation, closure, or track relocation project;
• Other means to improve safety if related to the mobility of people and goods at highway-rail grade crossings (including technological solutions);
• The planning, environmental review, and design of an eligible project type.

Eligible Recipients:

• States, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and other United States territories and possessions;
• Political subdivision of a state;
• Federally recognized Indian Tribe;
• A unit of local government or a group of local governments;
• A public port authority;
• A metropolitan planning organization;
• A group of the entities described above.