FRA Offering $10 Million in Grade Crossing Grants
The grant program funds public and private railroad grade crossing enhancements and track improvement projects that improve safety on rail routes used to transport crude oil, ethanol, and natural gas.
States have until Nov. 4 to submit their applications for some of the $10 million in grants being offered by the Federal Railroad Administration for public and private railroad grade crossing enhancements and track improvement projects that improve safety on rail routes used to transport crude oil, ethanol, and natural gas. FRA announcement the funding availability last week.
The grants are available for eligible projects under Railroad Safety Grants for the Safe Transportation of Energy Products by Rail (or STEP Rail) Program.
All eligible project types must be conducted on and directly relate to rail lines over which crude oil, ethanol, and/or natural gas are transported, according to the agency, and all applications "must clearly demonstrate project need and the expected positive impact of the proposed project on rail safety using clear, supportable data."
FRA reports that highway-rail grade crossings collisions are the second-leading cause of all railroad-related fatalities and, while the number of fatalities has decreased for the past several decades, the number increased last year for the first time this decade. "This is a particularly dangerous trend in an era when the volume of energy shipments by rail has increased dramatically," the agency noted.
Details of the funding opportunity and application materials are available at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0829.