Federal and state funding news for the people who actually run the railroad.
August 10, 2026
Awards announced
The Federal Railroad Administration's FY2023-2024 CRISI round awarded $100,000,000 to the Orange County Transportation Authority for resilience work, with a 68.25% non-federal match — one of the highest match rates in this round.
Now open
The Rail Preservation Fund is open only to Virginia's nine Class III short lines, funding up to 70% of project cost with a minimum 30% cash-or-in-kind local match. The program draws roughly $4 million a year from VDOT's Highway Construction Fund. The application window runs December 1 through February 1 via WebGrants.
State news
The Michigan Rail Efficiency Program funds up to 70% of eligible cost, capped at $5 million, with the next call for projects planned for fall 2026. The Freight Economic Development Program funds up to 50% of rail-customer infrastructure like spurs and turnouts, capped at $2 million, and accepts applications on a rolling basis — plus a second payment worth up to 5% of eligible costs as actual carloads are reported over five years.
Recent awards
Upcoming deadlines
Free. Every week.
Get the next dispatch before it's public.
One email a week. No paywall, ever — just the deadlines and dollars that matter to your railroad.