The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, is administering a discretionary cooperative agreement under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Public Law 117-58. This opportunity provides $1,189,000,000 in supplemental funding for fiscal year 2026 to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) for capital improvements along the Northeast Corridor (NEC). Amtrak is the sole eligible applicant. The program aligns with the FRA's mission to support safe, efficient, and accessible rail transportation through federal investment in infrastructure and compliance initiatives.
The funding supports a variety of eligible activities including the acquisition of rolling stock and associated facilities, execution of deferred capital projects that provide sole benefit to the NEC, capital renewal work to address maintenance backlogs, and projects aimed at ensuring Amtrak-served stations meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In addition, funds may serve as the non-federal share for projects awarded under 49 U.S.C. 24911(f), provided those awards occurred after the enactment of the IIJA.
This funding opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement and is not competitive, as it is exclusively available to Amtrak. No cost-sharing or matching requirements apply. Interested applicants must submit all required documentation through the GrantSolutions platform, including the SF-424 application form, the SF-424B and SF-424D assurances, a Statement of Work, and FRA-specific assurances and certifications. These documents must be uploaded as attachments to the application.
The application deadline is November 18, 2025, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. The opportunity was posted on October 29, 2025, and applications are currently being accepted. There is no mention of recurring cycles or pre-application requirements for this opportunity. All submissions must be completed electronically via GrantSolutions, which provides access credentials upon announcement for new users and requires existing grantees to use their current accounts.
For administrative or budgetary questions, applicants may contact Lou M. Lorello, Office of Railroad Chief Financial Officer, at 202-440-2563 or Lou.Lorello@dot.gov. For programmatic or technical questions, Emily Chan from the Office of Railroad Development is available at 202-981-2271 or Wingkam.Chan@dot.gov. Award and performance timelines are not specified, and there are no noted review criteria beyond submission of the correct documentation by the deadline.
