Welcome to FRA's Grants and Loans portal, your source for information about programs that help develop safer and more efficient rail transport systems. FRA supports freight and passenger railroading through a variety of competitive grant, dedicated grant, and loan programs to develop safety improvements, relieve congestion, and encourage the expansion and upgrade of passenger rail systems. Please visit FRA’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 site for more information on economic recovery opportunities.

INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL INVESTMENT
Increases the States' role in intercity passenger rail development by establishing Federal-State partnerships 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.   Currently not accepting applications.

HIGH-SPEED RAIL
Addresses long-term passenger transport needs in heavily populated corridors.  Currently not accepting applications.

RAIL LINE RELOCATION AND IMPROVEMENT CAPITAL GRANT PROGRAM
Provides financial assistance for local rail line relocation and improvement projects. Currently not accepting applications.

DISASTER ASSISTANCE
Provides the Secretary of Transportation funds for necessary expenses to make grants to repair and rehabilitate Class II and Class III railroad infrastructure damaged by hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters in areas for which the President declared a major disaster.   Currently not accepting applications.

UNIVERSITY GRANTS
Enhances FRA's safety R&D program by developing cooperative research relationships with selected academic institutions.  Currently not accepting applications.

AMTRAK
FRA is responsible for administering federal grants to Amtrak, which has led to increased FRA oversight of Amtrak spending since Fiscal year 2003. 

MAGNETIC LEVITATION DEPLOYMENT PROGRAM (MAGLEV)
Created to demonstrate the potential of a commercial Maglev project in the United States.  

ALASKA RAILROAD  
Receives no operating subsidies from the federal government, although both the FRA and Federal Transit Administration administer capital grants that fund specific rail improvement projects as identified by Congress in annual appropriations or multi-year authorizations.

OPERATION LIFESAVER, INC.  
A national not-for-profit rail safety organization, receives funding to support its public education efforts to reduce collisions between trains and motor vehicles at highway-rail grade crossings and discourage illegal trespassing along railroad rights of way.  www.oli.org      

RAILROAD REHABILITATION & IMPROVEMENT FINANCING (RRIF) PROGRAM
Provides direct loans and loan guarantees to acquire, improve, or rehabilitate intermodal or rail equipment or facilities, including track, bridges, yards, buildings and shops; refinance outstanding debt incurred for the purposes listed above; and develop or establish new intermodal or railroad facilities.  CURRENTLY ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS.

TRANSPORTATION INNOVATION & FINANCE (TIFIA)  
This is a Department of Transportation program which makes three forms of credit assistance available -- secured (direct) loans, loan guarantees and standby lines of credit -- for surface transportation projects of national or regional significance.  CURRENTLY ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS.