The Department of Transportation announced it will provide $30 million of grants to states to help improve passenger rail.
“We want to encourage and support the kind of state investments that are making a difference for passenger rail services,” Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said in a release She added that between 1996 and 2006, ridership on state-supported intercity routes grew by a robust 88%, vastly outpacing the 17% increase in all other routes combined.
The grants require a 50% match from states. Eligible projects include upgrading existing track to permit higher maximum operating speeds, adding or lengthening passing tracks to increase rail line capacity, improving track switches and signaling systems to advance reliability and safety, and purchasing new passenger rail cars to enhance the travel experience.
The Federal Railroad Administration is administering the grant program and will begin accepting applications on March 18, with the expectation that awards will be made later this year, the DOT said. Individual states or multiple states working together may submit applications.
