FRA Announces $227 Million for Passenger Rail Projects

by Sean Jeans-Gail, Vice President of Policy + Government Affairs The Federal Railroad Administration released two year’s worth of capital repair grants to support 10 passenger and commuter rail projects in 10 states, kickstarting a program that has lagged in recent years. The $227 million in grants are part of the Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair (SOGR) Program and will go to repair, replace, or rehabilitate publicly or Amtrak owned or controlled railcars, stations, and track infrastructure. These funds were appropriated by Congress in the Fiscal Years 2017 and 2018 budget bills, which Rail Passengers Association leadership and members fought hard to secure. “It’s gratifying to see the advocacy work of the Rail Passengers coalition pay off in such a big way,” said Rail Passengers Association President Jim Mathews. “It’s especially important to see the kinds of project the SOGR program is funding now that the FAST Act is drawing to a close. As we think about what comes next,

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