The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), under the U.S. Department of Transportation, has announced a discretionary funding opportunity titled “CRS Congressionally Directed Spending - Morgan Hill Grade Separations Project.” This grant aims to support the advancement of the California High-Speed Rail (HSR) initiative, particularly within the City of Morgan Hill, California. The HSR project seeks to establish a rapid transit line between San Francisco and Los Angeles, capable of achieving speeds over 200 miles per hour, with the intention of uniting California’s mega-regions and improving statewide mobility.
This specific funding opportunity will support preliminary engineering and environmental reviews (up to approximately 30% design) for constructing grade separations at E. Dunne Avenue and Tennant Avenue. It also encompasses plans for a pedestrian underpass at the Morgan Hill Downtown Station. Grade separations are essential for enhancing public safety and ensuring uninterrupted access for emergency services such as police, fire, and emergency medical personnel. Currently, the proposed rail corridor intersects the city at grade level, thereby creating barriers that can delay emergency responses and divide the community spatially.
The FRA emphasizes that addressing at-grade crossings will mitigate response time delays and improve overall service reliability and safety. These planning and design activities will establish the groundwork for future capital infrastructure improvements, aligning with broader federal goals around transportation safety, resilience, and sustainability. This is a single-award opportunity with a total federal funding ceiling of $1,000,000, and it includes a cost-sharing requirement, although the exact percentage is not specified in the synopsis.
Eligible applicants for this grant are limited to city or township governments, specifically enabling municipalities like Morgan Hill to directly apply for the planning funds. There is no mention of additional eligibility restrictions or regional limitations, but the opportunity does center geographically on Morgan Hill, California.
Applications must be submitted by October 30, 2025. The opportunity was posted on October 22, 2025, and is currently open for submissions. Prospective applicants must ensure timely submission via Grants.gov. For support with the application process or technical difficulties accessing materials, applicants are encouraged to contact the GrantSolutions Help Desk, available weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time by phone.
There are no noted pre-application steps such as letters of intent or concept papers, nor are there any stated evaluation criteria in the synopsis. The performance period and expected start date for funded activities are not disclosed in the provided information. Additionally, this opportunity does not appear to be recurring, and no timeline for future cycles is included.
