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Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant Program

General Grant Program Information

The purpose of the CRISI Program is to invest in a wide range of projects within the United States to improve railroad safety, efficiency, and reliability; mitigate congestion at both intercity passenger and freight rail chokepoints to support more efficient travel and goods movement; enhance multimodal connections; and lead to new or substantially improved Intercity Passenger Rail Transportation corridors. 

This program invests in railroad infrastructure projects that improve safety, support economic vitality (including through small businesses), create good-paying jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union, increase capacity and supply chain resilience, apply innovative technology, and explicitly address climate change, gender equity, and racial equity.

A benefit-cost analysis (BCA) is required for this grant program. For more information about BCAs, see the following resources: 

Opportunity Status:
Open
Posted Date:
Close Date:
Eligible Applicants:
State Governments; Local Governments; Federally Recognized Tribes and Affiliated Groups; Transportation Providers and Operators; Academic and Research Institutions; Private-Sector Applicants; Non-profit
Eligible Activities:
Planning; Construction; Equipment and Materials; Operations and Maintenance; Technology Demonstrations and Deployment; Technical Assistance, Workforce Development, and Training/Education; Research and Development; Climate and Sustainability; Accessibility; Security
Transportation Type:
Railway
Most Recent Annual Program Funding Amount:
$2,385,440,210
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement:
Yes
Match Waiver:
No
Rural Set-Aside:
Yes
Tribal Set-Aside:
No
Grant Opportunity ID:
FR-CRS-24-001
Agency:
USDOT / Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)

Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

Recipients eligible for this grant program include the following:

  1. State;
  2. Group of States;
  3. Interstate compact;
  4. Public agency or publicly chartered authority established by one or more States;
  5. Political subdivision of a State;
  6. Amtrak or another rail carrier that provides intercity rail passenger transportation;
  7. Class II railroad or Class III railroad, including any holding company of a Class II railroad or Class III railroad ;
  8. An association representing 1 or more railroads described in #7;
  9.  A federally recognized Indian Tribe;
  10. Any rail carrier or rail equipment manufacturer in partnership with at least one of the entities described in (1) through (5);
  11. Transportation Research Board together with any entity with which it contracts in the development of rail-related research, including cooperative research programs;
  12. University transportation center engaged in rail-related research; or
  13. Non-profit labor organization representing a class or craft of employees of rail carriers or rail carrier contractors.

Eligible Uses

Projects eligible for funding under this grant program include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Deployment of railroad safety technology;
  • Capital projects, as defined in section 49 U.S.C. § 24401(2) for intercity passenger rail service, except that a project under this NOFO is not required to be in a state rail plan; 
  • Capital projects that: 
    • address congestion challenges affecting rail service,
    • reduce congestion and facilitate ridership growth along heavily traveled rail corridors, and/or
    • improve short-line or regional railroad infrastructure;
  • Highway-rail grade crossing improvement projects;
  • Rail line relocation and improvement projects;
  • Regional rail and corridor service development plans and environmental analyses;
  • Any project necessary to enhance multimodal connections or facilitate service integration between rail service and other modes;
  • The development and implementation of a safety program or institute;
  • The development and implementation of measures to prevent trespassing;
  • Any research that the Secretary considers necessary to advance any particular aspect of rail related capital, operations, or safety improvements;
  • Workforce development and training activities, coordinated to the extent practicable with the existing local training programs supported by the Department of Transportation, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Education;
  • Research, development, and testing to advance and facilitate innovative rail projects;
  • Preparation of emergency plans for communities where hazardous materials are transported by rail; 
  • Rehabilitating, remanufacturing, procuring or overhauling locomotives for emissions reduction; and
  • Deployment of Magnetic Levitation Transportation Projects. 

Funding Information

The total funding available for awards under this NOFO is more than $2.4 billion, made available by the 2023 Appropriation, 2024 Appropriation, 2023 and 2024 advance appropriations provided in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also called the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law), and remaining unawarded 2022 CRISI balances. 

In addition to the funding made available for the CRISI Program, this NOFO includes funds for eligible projects under the Magnetic Levitation Technology Deployment Program (Maglev Grants Program) and solicits applications for eligible project costs for the deployment of magnetic levitation transportation projects.

The federal cost-share is 80 percent; the applicant must supply the remaining 20 percent.

Set-Asides

Of the available award amount, certain funding amounts are set-aside for the following purposes:

  • Rural Area Set-Aside: At least $657,393,500, or 25 percent of amounts appropriated, will be made available for projects in rural areas as required in 49 U.S.C. 22907(g).
  • Intercity Passenger Rail Set-Aside: At least $150 million will be made available for Capital Projects that support the development of new Intercity Passenger Rail Service routes including alignments for existing routes, as described in 49 U.S.C. 22907(c)(2) and as required in the 2023 Appropriation.
  • Trespassing Measures Set-Aside: At least $32,724,132 will be made available for the development and implementation of measures to prevent trespassing and reduce associated injuries and fatalities, as described in 49 U.S.C. 22907(c)(11) and as required in the 2023 Appropriation.
  • Magnetic Levitation Deployment Projects Set-Aside: $2 million in 2021 Appropriation funding will be made available for the Deployment of Magnetic Levitation Transportation Projects. In addition, up to $5 million will be made available from the 2023 Appropriation for preconstruction planning activities and capital costs related to the deployment of magnetic levitation transportation projects.
  • Workforce Development Set-Aside: At least $5 million will be made available for workforce development and training activities, as described in 49 U.S.C. 22907(c)(13) and as required by the 2023 Appropriation.

Contact Information

FRA-NOFO-Support@dot.gov

Disclaimer:
The Dashboard provides users with a high-level overview of relevant Federal discretionary grant programs. The information in the Dashboard is maintained as a secondary resource and may not be updated with the most recent changes to each program's primary guidance materials. Accordingly, please refer to the Federal grant-making agency for the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on a grant opportunity in the Dashboard.

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