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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Site Notification

Site Notification

Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing (RRIF)

 

Why RRIF?

  • Low interest rate 
  • Interest does not accrue until proceeds are drawn 
  • Flexible amortization 
    • Up to 35 year repayment period 
    • Deferrable for 5 years after substantial project completion
  • No pre-payment penalty

 

Program Overview

The RRIF program was established by the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) and amended by the Safe Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: a Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008, and the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. Under this program the Department of Transportation is authorized to provide direct loans and loan guarantees up to $35.0 billion to finance development of railroad infrastructure. Not less than $7.0 billion is reserved for projects benefiting freight railroads other than Class I carriers.

The funding may be used to:

  • Acquire, improve, or rehabilitate intermodal or rail equipment or facilities, including track, components of track, bridges, yards, buildings and shops, and including the installation of positive train control systems;
  • Develop or establish new intermodal or railroad facilities;
  • Reimburse planning and design expenses relating to activities listed above;
  • Refinance outstanding debt incurred for the purposes listed above; and
  • Finance transit-oriented development 

Direct loans can fund up to 100% of a railroad project with repayment periods of up to 35 years and interest rates equal to the cost of borrowing to the government. 

Eligible borrowers include railroads, state and local governments, government-sponsored authorities and corporations, limited option freight shippers that intend to construct a new rail connection, and joint ventures that include at least one of the preceding.

Please contact Will Resch (Will.Resch@dot.gov) for more information. 

*******Important Notice: Some projects may require a "value for money" analysis to be eligible. Learn more here.*******

 

RRIF Program Dashboard

RRIF Applicant

Applicant Type

Project Location

Loan Request

Application Status

Secretarial Notice

Project Description

 



 

 

 

 

 


 

 

Pursuant to the FAST Act, the Department posts this dashboard of applications for credit assistance received under the RRIF program.

 

Executed Loan Agreements

The table below lists all executed RRIF loan agreements since program inception.

Fiscal Year Organization Status Amount
2023 Sound Transit Improvements  Active $154,200,000
2023 Indiana Finance Authority for the Double Track Project Active $27,500,000
2022  Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) for West Lake Corridor Rail Project Active $203,300,000
2020 Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Active $851,150,000

2019/2021 (refi)

Dallas Area Rapid Transit

Active

$908,000,000

2019

Port of Everett

Active

$5,949,999

2018

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

Active

$220,000,000

2016

Amtrak

Active

$2,450,000,000

2015

The Arkansas and Missouri Railroad Company

Active

$6,809,000

2015

Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Active

$967,100,000

2012

Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority

Active

$83,710,000

2012

Kansas City Southern Railway Company

Active

$54,648,000

2011

Northwestern Pacific Railroad Company and
North Coast Railroad Authority

Active

$3,180,000

2011

Amtrak

Retired

$562,900,000

2011

C&J Railroad

Retired

$56,204

2010

Denver Union Station Project Authority

Retired

$155,000,000

2010

Great Lakes Central Railroad

Active

$17,000,000

2009

Georgia & Florida Railways

Retired

$8,100,000

2009

Permian Basin Railways, Inc.

Retired

$64,400,000

2009

Iowa Interstate Railroad

Retired

$31,000,000

2007

Nashville and Eastern Railroad

Retired

$4,000,000

2007

Nashville and Eastern Railroad

Retired

$600,000

2007

Columbia Basin Railroad

Retired

$3,000,000

2007

Great Western Railway

Retired

$4,030,000

2007

Dakota Minnesota & Eastern Railroad

Retired

$48,320,000

2007

Iowa Northern Railroad

Retired

$25,500,000

2006

Virginia Railway Express

Retired

$72,500,000

2006

RJ Corman Railway

Retired

$11,768,274

2006

RJ Corman Railway

Retired

$47,131,726

2006

Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway

Retired

$14,000,000

2006

Iowa Interstate Railroad

Retired

$9,350,000

2005

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

Active

$7,500,000

2005

Riverport Railroad

Active

$5,514,774

2005

The Montreal Maine & Atlantic Railway

Active

$34,000,000

2005

Tex-Mex Railroad

Active

$50,000,000

2005

Iowa Interstate Railroad

Retired

$32,732,533

2004

Stillwater Central Railroad

Retired

$4,675,250

2004

Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway

Retired

$25,000,000

2004

Dakota Minnesota & Eastern Railroad

Retired

$233,601,000

2003

Arkansas & Missouri Railroad

Retired

$11,000,000

2003

Nashville and Western Railroad

Active

$2,300,000

2002

Amtrak

Retired

$100,000,000

2002

Mount Hood Railroad

Active

$2,070,000

Total

$7,291,796,760

 

 

RRIF Credit Risk Premium (CRP) Cohort Definition

As required by the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019, and the Save Our Seas Act of 2018, the Department of Transportation, in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget, has defined the term "cohorts of loans" as applicable to RRIF loans executed prior to the enactment of the FAST Act.  Click here for a list of each RRIF loan within each cohort.

Last updated: Thursday, September 7, 2023