Restoration and Enhancement (R&E) Grants Program - FY 2021-2024
Agency: | U.S. Department of Transportation |
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CFDA: | 20.324 |
Federal FON: | FR-RAE-24-001 |
Office: | Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) |
Multipart Grant: | No |
Next Due: | 09/30/2024 (Application) |
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Solicitation Date: | 07/15/2024 |
Match Required: | Yes |
Match Type: | Cash |
Actual Funds: | $153,845,680 (Confirmed) |
Summary:
The purpose of this program is to provide financial assistance for initiating, restoring, or enhancing intercity rail passenger transportation operations. The program plays a vital role in the success of intercity passenger rail service by offsetting initial operating losses while the new or expanded services build their ridership and revenue base.
Support will be provided for enhancing, upgrading, or modifying current services offered on an intercity rail passenger transportation route or train. Examples include adding a station stop; increasing frequency of a train; or modifying onboard services offered on the train, such as food or sleeping accommodations.
Eligible projects include:
- Additional frequency of current services
- Offering new onboard services
- Establishing new services
- Extension of current services
- Restoration of previously operated services
Preference will be given to projects where the proposed services are on route(s) selected under the Corridor Identification and Development Program, known in eCivis Grants Network as US16742, and operated by Amtrak. Preference will also be given to projects where the start of revenue service is likely to occur within one year of award selection.
Examples of eligible expenses include:
- Staffing costs for train engineers, conductors, and onboard service crew
- Diesel fuel or electricity costs associated with train propulsion power
- Station costs, such as ticket sales, customer information and train dispatching services, and station building utility and maintenance costs
- Lease payments on rolling stock
- Routine planned maintenance costs of equipment and train cleaning
- Host railroad costs
- Train yard operation costs
- General and administrative costs
- Management, marketing, sales, and reservations costs
An optional webinar is scheduled for this program. Refer to the Application section for details.
Last Updated: August 14, 2024
Eligibility Notes:
Eligible applicants are:
- States, including the District of Columbia
- Groups of states
- Entities implementing an Interstate Rail Compact
- Public agencies or publicly chartered authorities established by one or more states
- Political subdivisions of states
- Federally recognized Indian tribes
- Any combination of the above-listed entities
- Any rail carrier in partnership with at least one of the above entities, or any combination of the above entities
- Amtrak or another rail carrier that provides intercity rail passenger transportation
If an application includes a partnership with more than one eligible applicant, the application must identify one lead eligible applicant to be the recipient, as well as primary point of contact for the application. Eligible applicants may reference entities that are not eligible applicants in an application as project partners.
A written agreement between the applicant and the owner of railroad rights-of-way is only required if the project uses the railroad right-of-way.
Current award recipients through this program may apply, as detailed on page 4 of the NOFA file.
An applicant may have up to six awards active through this program at any one time, as detailed on page 13 of the WebinarPresentation file.
Previous award recipients include:
- Connecticut Department of Transportation
- Southern Rail Commission
- Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Refer to the Award file for additional information regarding previous award recipients.
Eligible Applicants:
Local GovernmentConsortia
Native American Tribe
Private Sector
State Government
Application Notes:
Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on September 30, 2024.
Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov. Applications submitted via mail, fax, email, or other means will not be accepted.
Applications must include:
- Project narrative (25 pages max):
- Cover page
- Project summary
- Funds, sources, and uses of project funds
- Applicant eligibility criteria
- Project eligibility criteria
- Detailed project description
- Project location
- Evaluation and selection criteria
- Project implementation and management
- Statement of work
- Capital and mobilization plan
- Operating plan
- Funding plan
- Status of negotiations and agreements
- Environmental compliance documentation
- Funding commitment supporting documentation
- SF 424
- SF 424A
- SF 424B
- Certifications regarding debarment, suspension, and other responsibility matters
- Applicant financial capability questionnaire
- SF LLL (if applicable)
The 25-page maximum for the project narrative does not include the cover page, table of contents, and supporting documents. Where possible, supporting documents should be submitted as links.
The following are required in order to submit an application:
- Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number
- SAM (System for Award Management) registration
- SPOC (state Single Point of Contact) notification
Applicants may obtain a UEI number and verify or renew SAM registration status at www.ecivis.com/sam. Applicants in states participating in the SPOC program must contact the relevant SPOC listed in the SPOC file before applying.
An optional webinar is scheduled for this program as follows:
July 24, 2024
2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET
Registration: usdot.zoomgov.com
The recording of the webinar can be found online at www.youtube.com.
Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Project readiness
- Technical merit
- Project benefits
Refer to the NOFA and Overview files for additional application information.
Match Required: | Yes |
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Match Type: | Cash |
Actual Funds: | $153,845,680 (Confirmed) |
Match Notes:
Applicants must provide a cash match that varies according to the year of the project:
- First year: at least 10 percent of the total net operating costs
- Second year: at least 20 percent of the total net operating costs
- Third year: at least 30 percent of the total net operating costs
- Fourth year: at least 40 percent of the total net operating costs
- Fifth year: at least 50 percent of the total net operating costs
- Sixth year: at least 70 percent of the total net operating costs
The cash match may be composed of state, local, federal, or private-sector funding.
Preference will be given to applicants that provide nonfederal cost share from multiple sources that demonstrate broad participation by affected stakeholders. Preference will also be given to applicants proposing higher percentages of match.
Preference will also be given to applications that demonstrate the project will be sustainable beyond the project period.
Funding Notes:
A total of $153,845,680 is available to support grants or cooperative agreements through this program. Up to six awards may be simultaneously active through this program, and there are currently three active awards; however, up to three awards for additional funding may be provided for currently awarded recipients, as detailed on page 4 of the NOFA file. There are no minimum or maximum award amounts.
Funding will be provided on a reimbursement basis.
Applicants may apply for multiple years of funding, up to six years, or only one year of funding, provided the service has not already received six years of funding. Applicants may receive up to six years of funding, and awards may not be renewed.
Preference will be given to projects where the start of revenue services is likely to occur within one year of award selection.
Award recipients must seek written approval from the funding agency for pre-award activities to be eligible for reimbursement.
Funds may not be used for commuter rail passenger transportation.
In May 2020, more than $22 million was distributed via three awards ranging from $4,395,616 to $12,569,200 through this program. Refer to the Award file for details.
Contacts:
Program Staff
FRA-NOFO-Support@dot.gov
Marc Dixon
(202) 493-0614
marc.dixon@dot.gov
Agency Address
Federal Railroad Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
Contact Notes:
Questions should be directed to the program contacts provided.
Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov.
The agency address provided is for reference purposes only.
Files:
Award File: US15175_Award_FY2021-24.pdf (210.8 Kb)NOFA File: US15175_NOFA_FY2021-24.pdf (419.1 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US15175_Overview_FY2021-24.pdf (147.2 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US15175_WebinarPresentation_FY2021-24.pdf (26.4 Mb)
Federal Forms:
SPOC (195.6 Kb)File Notes:
The NOFA file contains the full solicitation for this program. The Overview file contains general program information, including webinar information. The WebinarPresentation file contains the slides of the pre-application webinar held for this program. The Award file contains information regarding previous award recipients. The SPOC file contains information on the state Single Point of Contact program.
August 14, 2024
A recording of the webinar for this program has been released, and a link to the presentation is available in the Application section. Additionally, the slides of the webinar have been released and attached as the WebinarPresentation file. The Eligibility and Financial sections have been updated accordingly.
Grant Keywords
state, District of Columbia, Interstate Rail Compact, public agency, public agencies, publicly chartered authorities, publicly chartered authority, political subdivision, federally recognized Indian Tribe, federally recognized, Indian Tribe, Tribe, rail carrier, partner, partnership, Amtrak, Department of Transportation, DOT, Federal Railroad Administration, FRA, R&E, Restoration and Enhancement Grants Program, transit, transportation, operating assistance, intercity, intercity rail passenger transportation, rail, rail transportation, heavy rail, light rail, train, enhance, update, upgrade, station stop, service, rail service, route frequency, onboard service, on-board service, restore, restoration, daily, daytime, intercity public transportation, transportation disadvantaged, underserved, disconnected, rural, economic development, disadvantaged, disadvantaged community, non-transportation benefits, livability, connectivity, coverage, network, passenger, rail passenger, rider, ridership, train engineer, conductor, diesel, train propulsion, station cost, rolling stock, railroad, train yard, marketing, management, sales, transport, infrastructure, transit dependent, accessibility, accessible, connect, connection, elevated train, LRT, monorail, rail station, railway station, station, tram, tramway, commuter rail, commuter train, intercity rail, regional rail, electric train, electric truck, catenary, electrification, electrify, overhead wire, transportation center, railyard, passenger transportation, Corridor Identification and Development Program, US16742Grant Categories
Community DevelopmentEconomic Development
Rural Issues
Transportation