Rail Funding Brief

Federal and state funding news for the people who actually run the railroad.

Issue No. 6

August 31, 2026

Now open

What actually happens to CRISI on October 1

On August 8 the Senate voted 90-6 to extend surface transportation authority through December 11 — but that CR explicitly does not extend IIJA's Division J advance appropriations, the roughly $156 billion in funding that actually pays for CRISI, PIDP, and Fed-State Partnership. Per a Holland & Knight client alert, without Division J those programs face a 50 to 100 percent cut from IIJA levels, and federal transportation funding broadly faces a projected $36.8 billion annual shortfall starting October 1. The FY25-26 CRISI round already closed in June and isn't affected — what's at stake is the next round. December 11 is the next real deadline; we'll cover what happens before then, not after.

Awards announced

Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority won $25 million in FY2021 CRISI funding for a Wells, Maine siding project

The Federal Railroad Administration awarded $24,995,403 to the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority in FY2021 CRISI funding for the Wells Area Improvement Project on the Downeaster corridor. The project extends the existing No. 2 siding track roughly 11,000 feet, adding operational flexibility and capacity meant to help NNEPRA grow Portland-Boston service from five round trips toward a phased goal of seven, per the authority's 2016 corridor service development plan.

Awards announced

Florida DOT won $17.6 million in FY2023 CRISI funding to untangle a three-railroad interchange in Jacksonville

The Federal Railroad Administration awarded $17,615,500 to the Florida Department of Transportation in FY2023 CRISI funding to improve operations where CSX, Florida East Coast Railway, and Norfolk Southern interchange in Jacksonville. Upgraded switches, grade-crossing safety improvements, and new communication infrastructure are meant to cut delays for vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists, improve emergency-vehicle access to a major medical center nearby, limit trespasser access to the tracks, and reduce stationary locomotive emissions.

Recent awards

  • Conrail — $4,837,315.5, NJ-RFAP FY2026
  • South Jersey Port Corporation — $3,888,747.9, NJ-RFAP FY2026
  • Interstate Waste — $3,800,000, NJ-RFAP FY2026
  • Cape May Seashore Lines — $3,621,876.51, NJ-RFAP FY2026
  • Winchester & Western Railroad — $2,790,335.7, NJ-RFAP FY2026
See every confirmed award →

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