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Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Information from FRA

On November 15, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—a generational investment in America’s intermodal transportation system of which freight and intercity passenger rail are an integral part and an engine of our economy. The investments will:

  • Help make our nation’s rail network safer, more reliable, resilient, sustainable, and equitable. 
  • Improve the lives of Americans, create good paying jobs, and lay the foundation for America to compete in the 21st Century.  

What Does This Mean for FRA? 

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (Pub. L. 117-58), also known as the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law”, will provide unprecedented Federal funding for rail improvement projects in America. Over the next five years, that means greatly expanding existing Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) programs and creating new programs to enhance our nation’s rail network. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes $102 billion in total rail funding, including $66 billion from advanced appropriations, and $36 billion in authorized funding.

BIL funding

Recent Milestones

Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail (Northeast Corridor) Selections Announcement – November 6, 2023
FRA announced that it has awarded over $16.4 billion in Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail funding to 25 projects along the Northeast Corridor (NEC). Projects will modernize or replace vital infrastructure such as bridges and tunnels that are over 100 years old in communities running from Washington, D.C., to Boston, Massachusetts. These overhauls will decrease disruptions and delays, allow for increased speeds in the corridor, and improve the resiliency of NEC services. Several projects will bring heavily used infrastructure that has surpassed its useful life into a state of good repair, promoting heightened safety and building capacity for future growth. 

FRA launches Justice40 Rail Explorer Tool - October 2023
In October 2023, FRA launched its new Justice40 Rail Explorer tool. The Justice40 Rail Explorer tool is an interactive web application that combines data from the U.S. DOT Equitable Transportation Community (ETC) Explorer, the North American Rail Network (NARN), FRA’s Grade Crossing Inventory, Diesel emissions levels, and the 2020 Census. The tool allows users to understand rail infrastructure and potential improvement projects in the context of the surrounding communities.  

Please join FRA for a webinar on the Justice40 Rail Explorer tool and a live demonstration to showcase uses for the public, researchers, industry members, and grant applicants. FRA will also be available for questions post-demonstration.  

Funding Opportunities

FRA expects to begin announcing the availability of funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grant programs over the coming months. FRA encourages you to periodically check the FRA website for updates and information on how to apply for such grant funding. Grant funding will be made available through Notices of Funding Opportunity, which will be posted in the Federal Register. General information about FRA’s grant programs is also available under the Competitive Discretionary Grant Programs section of FRA’s website. If you would like to be added to FRA’s mailing list to learn about future NOFOs and webinars, please subscribe and select “Program Delivery” announcements.

Learn More

To learn more about the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and rail, watch the video from FRA Administrator Amit Bose and view the links for additional information about FRA’s programs.