GoRail is excited to share that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is now accepting grant applications for the Railroad Crossing Elimination Program (RCE). It published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the program on July 10 in the Federal Register, with applications due September 23.

It is a combined NOFO for FY23 and FY24 and provides a total of $1.15 billion in funding for RCE. Just over $38 million is set aside for planning projects, and the FRA indicates they are specifically focused on planning projects seeking to advance one or more grade separations. In addition, $229 million is set aside for projects in rural or tribal lands, and $11 million of that is for counties with fewer than 20 residents per square miles.

In the program’s first round, awards were given to 63 projects across 32 states, with the goal of improving the safety and mobility of people and goods. Eligible projects—which are not as the grant title suggests limited to just crossing eliminations—include grade separation, track relocation, improvement or installation of protective devices, or other means to improve safety.

You can learn more about the RCE program at the GoRail Rail Grant Hub. This tool helps to identify eligible projects, eligible applicants, and outlines in detail the 26 grant application requirements.

The FRA will host a webinar on RCE on Thursday, July 25, 2024 from 1-2pm ET. Additionally, GoRail hosted a webinar on RCE for local and state officials in May. Over 500 attendees heard from the Federal Railroad Administration on the program, including application best practices. We also featured a case study of a successful grant in the Village of Franklin Park, Illinois; including local and county perspective and insight from the project’s partner railroad on working with railroads on grant projects.

Dave Hodgkins is a legislative associate with the League. He may be reached at [email protected]