Intercity Passenger Rail Investment
To establish a long–term partnership between States and the Federal Government to support intercity passenger rail, the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Budget proposed, and the United States Congress enacted (as part of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008) the Capital Assistance to States – Intercity Passenger Rail Service Program. The program increases the States’ role in intercity passenger rail development by establishing the first-ever Federal-State partnership for intercity passenger rail investment along the model of those that currently exist for other modes of transportation such as for highways, airports, and transit systems.
Following the completion of a competitive evaluation of proposals submitted by 22 individual States, on September 30, 2008, Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters announced the selection of recipients of the $30 million in available FY 2008 funding.
The President’s FY 2009 Budget proposes to continue funding for this program at a level of $100 million. In addition, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 authorizes through fiscal year 2013, an analogous program that provides capital assistance to States for intercity passenger rail service. Subject to funding availability, FRA will publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing the date when new applications for competitive selection may be submitted. In preparation for a possible future round of applications, on October 15, 2008, FRA published a notice in the Federal Register requesting comments regarding the experience with the FY 2008 program and suggestions for possible improvements.
September 30, 2008, Press Release by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters Announcing Award of Funding Under the Capital Assistance to States - Intercity Passenger Rail Service Program
Table of FY 2008 Award Recipients
Descriptions of Projects Receiving Awards
Federal Register Notice for feedback on the FY 2008 program
FRA and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
