FRA awards $900,000 through first Interstate Rail Compacts grants

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) yesterday announced the award of $900,000 to three entities through the Interstate Rail Compacts (IRC) grant program.

Created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, the program provides new opportunities to entities implementing IRCs to advance multistate and regional passenger-rail service efforts.

Taken together, the rail networks being advanced through the inaugural round of IRC grants will improve passenger-rail service for large swaths of the Midwest, South and Southeast, including many states and communities that have never seen passenger-rail service or that have had previous services discontinued for years, FRA officials said in a press release.

The three entities that received fiscal-year 2022-23 IRC grants and their funding awards are:
• Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission, $300,000. The grant covers activities such as administration, promotion of intercity passenger-rail operations, and preparation of competitive federal grant program applications. MIPRC will provide a 50% non-federal match;
• Southern Rail Commission, $400,000. The grant helps fund the SRC’s planning efforts to expand passenger-rail in the U.S. Southeast, including preparation for applications to federal grant programs. The SRC will provide a 50% non-federal match; and
• North Carolina Department of Transportation on behalf of Virginia-North Carolina Interstate High-Speed Compact Commission, $200,000. The grant helps fund administration and system planning to complete the Southeast Rail Network Analysis. The project will help advance efforts to improve the fluidity of the Southeast rail network to benefit passenger and freight rail. The grant recipient will contribute funds totaling a 50% non-federal match.