Restoration and Enhancement Grant Program

Overview:  This program funds operating assistance grants for initiating, restoring, or enhancing intercity passenger rail transportation. 

Legislative Authority:  
This program was authorized in Section 11303 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, Pub. L. No. 114-94 (2015); codified at 49 U.S.C. § 22908. Funding for the FY 2018-2020 program was made available by the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (2020 Appropriation), Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019, Div. G, Tit. I, Public Law 116-6 (2019 Appropriation), Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, Div. L, Tit. I, Public Law 115-141 (2018 Appropriation), and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017, Div. K, Tit. I, Public Law 115-31 (2017 Appropriation).

FY 2018-2020 Funding Available for Award:  $26,337,600

• Projects totaling $22,414,816 were selected 

Eligible Projects:
Projects eligible for funding under this grant program include:

• additional frequency of current service
• offering new on-board services
• establishing new service
• extension of current service
• restoration of previously operated service

Expenses eligible for FY 2018-2020 funding must be for operating assistance to initiate, restore, or enhance intercity rail passenger transportation. Examples of such expenses may include: staffing costs for train engineers, conductors, on-board service crew; diesel fuel or electricity costs associated with train propulsion power; station costs such as ticket sales, customer information and train dispatching services, station building utility and maintenance costs; lease payments on rolling stock; routine planned maintenance costs of equipment and train cleaning; host railroad costs; train yard operation costs; general and administrative costs; and management, marketing, sales, and reservations costs.

Eligible Recipients:
(1)  a State (including the District of Columbia);
(2)  a group of States;
(3)  an Interstate Compact;
(4)  a public agency or publicly chartered authority established by one or more States;
(5)  a political subdivision of a State;
(6)  Amtrak or another Rail Carrier that provides Intercity Rail Passenger Transportation;
(7)  any Rail Carrier in partnership with at least one of the entities described in (1) through (5); and
(8)  any combination of the entities described in (1) through (7).

Resources:  

• FY 2018–2019 Notice of Funding Opportunity
• FY 2018-2019 Notice of Funding Opportunity amendment (adding FY 2020 Appropriation) 
• FRA Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Pre-Award Authority

News:  

May 5, 2020 Press Release
November 6, 2019 Press Release

Previous Funding Rounds:

FY 2017

Legislative Authority:  

This program was authorized in Section 11303 of the FAST Act, Pub. L. No. 114-94 (2015); 49 U.S.C. § 24408. Funding under this program was made available by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017, Pub. L. No. 115-31, Division K, Title I and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, Pub. L. 115-141, Division L, Title I.

Funding Available for Award:  $4,796,500

• Project totaling $4,360,000 selected

Resources:  

• FY 2017 Notice of Funding Opportunity

News:  

August 29, 2019 Press Release
February 15, 2018 Press Release