Virginia board raises ceiling for rail grant program

Virginia’s Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) this week approved an increase in the maximum amount of state funding available for future Rail Industrial Access (RIA) projects from $750,000 to $1 million.

The RIA program incentivizes private businesses to make siting and expansion decisions based on moving goods by rail, Virginia Department of Rail and Transportation (DRPT) officials said in a press release. The program is open to business, commercial or industrial enterprises; local governments or departments of economic development acting on behalf of enterprises; and railroads. Funds can be used to build new rail spurs or rehabilitate existing rail infrastructure to connect businesses to Virginia’s freight-rail network.

"Innovative partnerships like those fostered through the Rail Industrial Access program allow the state and private firms to achieve more than either could alone and make Virginia a competitive state for transportation and industry," said DRPT Director Mariia Zimmerman. "Raising the maximum grant amount for this program helps improve our rail infrastructure and the Virginia businesses that move their goods across it."

Between 2018 and 2026, the RIA grant program has resulted in over $38 million in combined state and private investment, with about 3% of total project costs coming from public funding, DRPT officials said. RIA investments have helped to divert over 150,000 truckloads to improve safety, mitigate traffic and reduce carbon emissions in rural and urban communities across the Commonwealth, DRPT officials said.

RIA applications are accepted on a rolling basis.