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GOLDEN AGE OF RAIL: Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Invests Over $2.3 Billion into Rail Infrastructure and Safety Across America

Monday, October 19, 2026
"Golden Age of Rail Delivered by President Trump and Secretary Duffy"

The Department will support 105 projects in 45 states and improve over 2,000 miles of track

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy today announced the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is investing $2.3 billion into freight and passenger rail projects in 45 states and the District of Columbia. Over 2,000 miles of track across America will see improvements thanks to funding from the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant Program, which received a record number of eligible applications this cycle.

Selected projects will also receive over $1.9 billion in non-Federal funding from state, local, and private partners to complete in total.

Included in the 105 projects in 45 states is:

  • $33.6 million for the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad Company to improve rail infrastructure resilience including track rehabilitation and improvement between Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Monett, Missouri. The project will replace rail, install new ties, upgrade a siding to a double-ended siding configuration, add two new siding tracks, and install 14 wayside rail lubricators on high-degree curves on the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad Company. 
  • $43.5 million for the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway to rehabilitate and modernize the Toledo Swing Bridge over the Maumee River in Toledo, Ohio. The project will rehabilitate eight of the 11 bridge spans and replace timber fender systems on the bridge, enabling 286,000-pound railcar capacity.
  • $37 million for the Maine Department of Transportation to rehabilitate approximately 90 miles of railroad line in Northern Maine as part of the Northern Aroostook Rail Gateway Modernization and Safety project. The project will replace rail, ties, and ballast and rehabilitate the deck of a railroad bridge
  • $20 million for the Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway Company in North Carolina to rehabilitate and improve rail infrastructure in Montgomery and Stanly counties. The project will install approximately 30 miles of continuous welded rail, rehabilitate bridges, and modernize crossing signals.
  • $30 million for the Texas City Terminal Railway Company to realign the Port of Texas’ vehicle entrance gate and rehabilitate and expand the yard. The project will address a safety conflict between trains and vehicles entering a petroleum facility and enable the Port to meet existing and projected demand for exporting multiple types of petrochemicals.
  • $218 million for the Wisconsin DOT to support improvements to the Hiawatha West project. The project includes the extension of existing Chicago–Milwaukee Hiawatha passenger rail service to Waukesha, Jefferson, and Dane counties in Wisconsin to rehabilitate and expand the capacity of track, bridges, and crossings, and construct new intercity passenger rail stations.

“Under President Trump, USDOT is investing in rail projects that will unleash local economies and deliver real safety upgrades. From improving shortline infrastructure and port connections so critical products can get where they need to go faster to enhancing fencing along trespassing hotspots, this package will tangibly improve lives for millions of Americans,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “These improvements are all part of our efforts to rekindle a Golden Age of Rail in America.”

“The funds announced today will provide shortline railroads across the country with the resources they need to make long overdue improvements to their day to day operations,” said FRA Administrator David Fink. “These thoughtful, targeted investments will reduce congestion and improve operations instead of wasting tax dollars on politically driven boondoggles.”  

FRA’s SELECTION PROCESS
CRISI applications were evaluated according to several criteria, including project readiness, technical merit, and project benefits. Eligible applications for the Crossing Safety Program were also evaluated on the basis of technical merit including Project Readiness, Project Benefits, Project Implementation and Management and similar criteria.  

The full list of selected projects can be found HERE.

Additional Information:

Last April, FRA announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the CRISI program intended to provide funding for projects that improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of intercity passenger and freight rail. Under Secretary Duffy, the grant programs revamped criteria prioritize safety, the American family, and workforce development, job quality and wealth creation. Specifically, the Department is supporting projects that: reduce congestion, jumpstart ridership growth on passenger railroads, improve regional railroad infrastructure or develop safety programs to prevent trespassing and reduce injuries and fatalities. More information on the CRISI Program can be found here.

Under Secretary Duffy, the Department has ushered in the Golden Age of Rail by making historic investments into America’s rail infrastructure.

In August, Secretary Duffy announced a $5.3 billion investment into rail projects across the U.S. that will enhance safety, upgrade infrastructure, and purchase new trainsets for Amtrak. Roughly $2 billion of this grant package is funding Secretary Duffy saved the American people by canceling Gavin Newsom’s disastrous high-speed train to nowhere.

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