The US Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has selected 105 projects to receive more than 2.3 billion USD in federal funding for rail infrastructure and safety improvements.
The funding comes through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant Program. The selected projects are expected to improve more than 2,000 miles of track and attract an additional 1.9 billion USD in non-federal funding from state, local and private partners.
The programme supports projects intended to improve rail safety, efficiency and reliability, including track rehabilitation, bridge upgrades, capacity improvements and measures to reduce trespassing incidents.
Among the selected projects, the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad Company will receive 33.6 million USD to improve infrastructure between Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Monett, Missouri. The work includes replacing rail and sleepers, upgrading existing sidings, adding two siding tracks and installing 14 wayside rail lubricators on sharp curves.
In Ohio, the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway has been awarded 43.5 million USD to rehabilitate and modernise the Toledo Swing Bridge over the Maumee River. The project will cover eight of the bridge’s 11 spans and replace timber fender systems, enabling the structure to accommodate railcars weighing up to 286,000 pounds.
The Maine Department of Transportation will receive 37 million USD to rehabilitate approximately 90 miles of railway in northern Maine. Work will include replacing rail, sleepers and ballast, as well as rehabilitating a railway bridge deck, under the Northern Aroostook Rail Gateway Modernization and Safety project.
In North Carolina, 20 million USD has been allocated to the Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway Company for improvements in Montgomery and Stanly counties. The project includes installing approximately 30 miles of continuous welded rail, rehabilitating bridges and modernising level-crossing signals.
A further 30 million USD will go to the Texas City Terminal Railway Company to realign a vehicle entrance gate at the Port of Texas City and rehabilitate and expand its rail yard. The project aims to address a safety conflict between trains and road vehicles entering a petroleum facility, while accommodating current and projected demand for petrochemical exports.
One of the largest individual awards is 218 million USD for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to support the Hiawatha West project. The scheme proposes extending existing Chicago–Milwaukee Hiawatha passenger rail services to Waukesha, Jefferson and Dane counties in Wisconsin. Planned works include rehabilitating and expanding track, bridge and crossing capacity, alongside the construction of new intercity passenger rail stations.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said:Under President Trump, USDOT is investing in rail projects that will unleash local economies and deliver real safety upgrades. From improving shortline infrastructure and port connections so critical products can get where they need to go faster to enhancing fencing along trespassing hotspots, this package will tangible improve lives for millions of Americans. These improvements are all part of our efforts to rekindle a Golden Age of Rail in America.
The award forms part of the wider programme’s support for passenger rail development, alongside investments in freight infrastructure and safety.
The announcement follows a separate 5.3 billion USD rail funding package announced by Duffy in August 2026. The package was intended to support safety improvements, infrastructure upgrades and the purchase of new trainsets for Amtrak.
