The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced the award of $900,000 in planning and development grants to support long-distance passenger rail services in the Midwest, South, and Southeast of the U.S. These grants, awarded through the Interstate Rail Compacts (IRC) Grant Program aim to improve and expand passenger rail networks.
The entities receiving funding will use the funds for activities such as administration, promotion, operations coordination, and preparation of applications for competitive federal grant programs. The grants will enable these entities to strengthen their organizational capacity to support the development and implementation of a robust passenger rail network in the Midwest, South, and Southeast regions.
The three entities that received Fiscal Year 2022-2023 IRC Program funding are as follows:
- Illinois – MIPRC Expansion Project (Up to $300,000)
Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission (MIPRC)
The proposed grant involves activities such as administration, promotion of intercity passenger rail operations, and preparation of competitive federal grant program applications. The project will help MIPRC increase efforts to advocate for and support the development and implementation of a robust passenger rail network in the Midwest region. MIPRC will provide a 50 percent non-federal match.
- Louisiana – SRC Rail-Ready Project: Building Capacity to Expand Passenger Rail across the American South (Up to $400,000)
Southern Rail Commission (SRC)
The proposed grant involves activities such as administration, promotion of intercity passenger rail operations, operations coordination, and preparation of competitive federal grant program applications. The project will help the SRC build its organizational capacity to continue to support the expansion of intercity passenger rail service in the Southeast region. The SRC will provide a 50 percent non-federal match.
- North Carolina – VA-NC Compact Administration & Southeast Rail Network Analysis Project (Up to $200,000)
North Carolina DOT on behalf of the Virginia – North Carolina Interstate High-Speed Rail Compact Commission (VA-NC HSR Compact)
The proposed grant involves administration and system planning activities to complete the Southeast Rail Network Analysis. The project will help advance efforts to improve the fluidity of the Southeast rail network to benefit both passenger and freight rail. The North Carolina DOT and Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, entities that operate the VA-NC HSR Compact, will contribute funds totaling a 50 percent