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Railroad Crossing Elimination (Crossing Safety) Grant Program

General Grant Program Information

The purpose of the Crossing Safety Program is to fund highway-rail or pathway-rail grade crossing improvement projects, including but not limited to grade crossing elimination projects, that focus on improving the safety and mobility of people and goods.

The program was established and authorized under 49 U.S.C. § 22909. Funding under this NOFO was made available by the FY 2025 and 2026 Advance Appropriations in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Div. J, Tit VIII, Pub. L. No. 117-58 (November 15, 2021) (IIJA).

Opportunity Status:
Open
Posted Date:
04/24/2026
Close Date:
06/08/2026
Eligible Applicants:
State Governments; Local Governments; Federally Recognized Tribes and Affiliated Groups; Planning and Project Organizations; U.S. Territories
Eligible Activities:
Planning; Construction; Equipment and Materials; Technology Demonstrations and Deployment; Resilience; Accessibility; Security
Transportation Type:
Bike/Ped Bridge Railway Roadway
Estimated Total Program Funding:
$1,146,528,000
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement:
Yes
Match Waiver:
No
Rural Set-Aside:
Yes
Tribal Set-Aside:
Yes
Grant Opportunity ID:
FR-RCE-26-001
Grant Opportunity Link:
Grants.gov Opportunity: FY25-26 Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program
Links to Additional Information:
Agency:
USDOT / Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)

Eligibility Information

The following entities are eligible applicants for all projects permitted under this notice:

  1. A State (including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and other United States territories and possessions).
  2. A political subdivision of a State.
  3. A federally recognized Indian Tribe.
  4. A unit of local government or a group of local governments.
  5. A public port authority.
  6. A metropolitan planning organization.
  7. A group of entities described in any of paragraphs (i) through (vii).

The following projects are eligible for funding:

  1. Grade separation or closure, including through the use of a bridge, embankment, tunnel, or combination thereof.
  2. Track Relocation.
  3. The improvement or installation of protective devices, signals, signs, or other measures to improve safety, provided that such activities are related to a separation or relocation project described in paragraph (i) or (ii).
  4. Other means to improve the safety and mobility of people and goods at highway-rail grade crossings (including technological solutions).
  5. A group of related projects described in paragraphs (i) through (iv) that would collectively improve the mobility of people and goods.
  6. The planning, environmental review, and design of an eligible project described in paragraphs (i) through (v).

Funding Information

Of the $1,146,528,000 available award amount, certain funding amounts are set aside for the following purposes under this NOFO:

  • Planning Projects: At least $36,000,000, or three percent, of the total FY 2025-2026 Crossing Safety Program grant funds are available for planning projects described in 49 U.S.C. § 22909(d)(6). Of these funds, $9,000,000 will be made available for planning projects located in Rural Areas or on Tribal Lands. FRA specifically expects to support planning projects that seek to advance efforts to grade separate at least one or more at-grade crossings. Planning projects are also subject to special considerations for award size and preference, as detailed in Section 3(c) of this notice.
  • Rural or Tribal Set-Aside: At least $229,305,600, or 20 percent, of the total amount appropriated of the Crossing Safety Program funds will be made available for projects located in Rural Areas or on Tribal Lands, as required by 49 U.S.C. §22909(f)(3)(A). A project’s rural designation is based on whether all or the majority (greater than 50 percent) of the project’s location, based on geospatial data provided (see Section 4(a)), is in a Rural Area, as defined in FRA’s Key Terms. At least $11,465,280, or five percent, of these set-aside funds will be made available for projects in counties with 20 or fewer residents per square mile, according to the most recent decennial census, provided that sufficient eligible applications have been submitted. If FRA elects to fund a component of the project, then FRA will evaluate whether that component is in a Rural Area.
  • Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety Information and Education Programs Set-Aside: In addition, FRA will make at least $3,000,000 available for grants that carry out Highway-Rail Grade Crossing safety information and education programs. FRA expects activities to promote further awareness of grade crossing safety will be based on existing best practices and such efforts will be implemented in a comprehensive manner through coordination with relevant stakeholders.

Contact Information

Grants.gov Customer Support:
support@grants.gov 

Program requirements or technical assistance:
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.