The U.S. Department of Transportation recently opened the application period for the Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program. The department will award $4.7 billion to high priority major station projects along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor.
Major stations include New York Penn Station and Washington Union Station.
The program, part of Partnership-Northeast Corridor Program, aims to revitalize the Northeast Corridor by reducing backlogs, streamlining performance, and expanding or establishing new intercity passenger rail service. Funding can be used for upgrading train station infrastructure, rebuilding rail bridge infrastructure and streamlining rail services for passengers.
“The Northeast Corridor is the busiest and most complex rail line in America,” Federal Rail Administration Administrator David Fink said.
Eligible applicants are Amtrak, the Union Station Redevelopment Corp., states, groups of states, interstate compacts, public agencies, a publicly chartered authority established by one or more states, a political subdivision of a state, and federally recognized tribes, or any combination of eligible applicants. Projects must be included in the 2026 Northeast Corridor Project Inventory to be eligible.
The federal cost share for projects will be no higher than 80 percent. The exception is grants awarded to the Union Station Redevelopment Corp. Applicants must identify other funding sources.
The application deadline is May 5.