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Competitive Grants for Rail Vehicle Replacement Program - FY 2024

Agency: U.S. Department of Transportation
CFDA: 20.525
Federal FON: FTA-2024-002-TPM-RAIL
Office: Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
Multipart Grant: No
Next Due: 12/18/2023 (Application)
Solicitation Date: 10/10/2023
   
Match Required: Yes
Match Type: Cash/In-Kind
Actual Funds: $196,906,663 (Confirmed)
Summary:

The purpose of this program is to modernize America's transit system, focusing on maintaining a state of good repair for fixed-guideway rail transit, by supporting the replacement of rail rolling stock. For the purposes of this program, rail rolling stock is defined as revenue service, passenger-carrying vehicles, or propulsion vehicles necessary for the provision of rail public transportation. Replacement is defined as the number of vehicles required to replace the number of vehicles to be removed from service that are substantially the same type.

Applicants should specifically identify and address one or more of the following in their application:

  • Safety: the potential for a project to improve the safety of the transit system
  • Performance: the benefits of reducing breakdowns and service interruptions, increasing service performance and reliability, and reducing the cost of maintaining outdated vehicles
  • Enhanced access and mobility for people with disabilities: the potential for a project to improve access and mobility for persons with disabilities
  • Combating climate change: the benefits of any otherwise eligible project that is proposing to replace a locomotive or self-propelled passenger cars with a locomotive or self-propelled passengers cars that produce fewer harmful emissions at the point of service

Applicants must also demonstrate how their project is consistent with local and regional planning documents and identified priorities. This will involve assessing whether the project is consistent with the transit priorities identified in the long-range transportation plan and the state and metropolitan transportation improvement program (STIP/TIP).

An optional webinar is scheduled for this program. Refer to the Application section for details.

Last Updated: November 07, 2024

Eligibility Notes:

Eligible applicants are states and local governmental authorities.

Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate state or local support by including letters of support from state departments of transportation, local transit agencies, local government officials and public agencies, local nonprofit or private sector organizations, and other relevant stakeholders. Applications that include letters of support will be viewed more favorably than those that do not.

Only one supplemental form will be accepted per SF 424 submission. Applicants are encouraged to consider submitting a single supplemental form that includes multiple activities as one project to be evaluated as a consolidated application. If an applicant chooses to submit separate applications for individual consideration, each application must include a separate SF 424 and supplemental form.

Previous award recipients include:

  • Commuter Rail Division of the Regional Transportation Authority (METRA) (IL)
  • Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) (PA)
  • Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) (MD)
  • Sacramento Regional Transit District (CA)
  • South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) (FL)

Refer to the Award file for additional information on previous award recipients.

Eligible Applicants:
Local Government
State Government
Application Notes:

Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on December 18, 2023.

Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov. Mailed or faxed applications will not be accepted.

Applications must include:

  • SF 424
  • Supplemental form
  • Additional supporting information (optional)

The following are required in order to submit an application:

  • Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number
  • SAM (System for Award Management) registration

Applicants may obtain a UEI number and verify or renew SAM registration status at www.ecivis.com/sam.

An optional webinar will be held for this program as follows:

November 2, 2023
1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
Registration: usdot.zoomgov.com

Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • Demonstration of need
  • Demonstration of benefits
  • Planning and local/regional prioritization
  • Local financial commitment
  • Project implementation strategy
  • Technical, legal, and financial capacity

Refer to the NOFA and SupplementalForm files for additional application information.

Match Required: Yes
Match Type: Cash/In-Kind
Actual Funds: $196,906,663 (Confirmed)
Match Notes:

Applicants must provide at least 50 percent of total project costs via cash and/or in-kind contributions.

Matching contributions may include other federal funding; however, no more than 80 percent of the total project costs may be comprised of federal funding. Eligible sources of nonfederal matching contributions may include:

  • Cash from non-governmental sources other than revenues from providing transit services, such as fare revenues
  • Non-farebox revenues from the operation of public transportation service, such as the sale of advertising and concession revenues
  • Monies received under a service agreement with a state or local social service agency or private social service organization
  • Undistributed cash surpluses, replacement or depreciation cash funds, reserves available in cash, or new capital
  • In-kind contributions integral to the project
  • Revenue bond proceeds for a capital project, with prior Federal Transit Administration (FTA) approval
  • Transportation development credits

Additional consideration will be given to those projects for which nonfederal funds have already been made available or reserved.

Funding Notes:

A total of $196,906,663 is available to support up to an anticipated three awards through this program. The funding agency may also commit up to $600 million in FY 2025 and FY 2026 funds toward projects selected in FY 2024.

Funds are available for obligation for three years after the fiscal year in which the awards are announced. For multiyear award agreements, subsequent obligations must be made in the following year for a two-year agreement, and each of the two consecutive fiscal years for a three-year agreement, following the fiscal year from which the first obligation is made.

Up to 0.5 percent of the requested award amount may be used to pay for project-related workforce development activities, as long as the federal share under this program of those workforce development activities is not more than 80 percent. Up to 0.5 percent of the requested award amount may be used to pay for project-related training from the National Transit Institute (NTI), as long as the federal share under this program for the related training from the NTI is not more than 80 percent.

The funding agency will grant pre-award authority to incur costs for selected projects beginning on October 10, 2023. Applicants that utilize pre-award authority to incur eligible expenses prior to project selection announcement will be responsible for any costs incurred if the application is not selected.

Funds may not be used for:

  • Vehicles that do not operate on rails, including rubber tire support vehicles, as well as maintenance and other non-revenue vehicles that do not operate on rails
  • Fleet expansion projects

For FY 2024, a total of $630,856,341 was distributed via three awards ranging from $100 million to $317,160,000 through this program. For FY 2022/2023, a total of $703,093,337 was distributed via six awards ranging from $45,096,936 to $200 million. Refer to the Award file for details.

Contacts:

Donna Iken
Program Manager
(202) 366-0876
donna.iken@dot.gov

Agency Address
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Transit Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590

Contact Notes:

Questions should be directed to Donna Iken.

Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov.

The agency address provided is for reference purposes only.

Files:
NOFA File: US17767_NOFA_FY2024.pdf (249.7 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17767_SupplementalForm_FY2024.pdf (204.9 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17767_Webinar_FY2024.pdf (68.1 Kb)
Award File: US17767_Award_FY2024.pdf (262.4 Kb)
File Notes:

The NOFA file contains the full solicitation for this program. The SupplementalForm file contains the supplemental form required for submission. The Webinar file contains information regarding an optional webinar scheduled for this program. The Award file contains information on previous award recipients.

November 8, 2024
Information regarding awards through this program has been released and appended to the Award file. A sample of award recipients has been added to the Eligibility section, and a brief summary of the awards has been added to the Financial section.

October 13, 2023
Information regarding the scheduling of an optional webinar for this program has been released and attached as the Webinar file. The Application section has been updated accordingly.

Grant Keywords
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Grant Categories
Environment/Natural Resources
Transportation