Proposed State Rail Plan Guidance

About this Guidance

This draft guidance provides an explanation of the proposed process to be followed in developing State rail plans, FRA’s review and acceptance procedure, the standardized State rail plan format, a list of the minimum State rail plan content requirements, and requirements established by the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA). An overview of PRIIA and the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) program is also provided.

Effect on Existing State Rail Plans

States that completed State rail plans before the date of enactment of PRIIA, October 16, 2008, that substantially meet the requirements of PRIIA as determined by FRA (acting for the Secretary of Transportation), will be deemed accepted and eligible for capital grants under Sections 301, 302, and 501of PRIIA. Further, for State rail plans that were completed after the enactment of PRIIA and prior to this issued guidance, FRA will treat them as if they were completed prior to the enactment of PRIIA. Because State rail plans must be updated at least every five years, they will be reviewed and accepted by FRA on a rolling basis.

Further, State rail plans that are the product of planning efforts underway prior to issuance of the finalized version of this proposed guidance, and that substantially meet the requirements of PRIIA, will be deemed by FRA to meet program and project eligibility requirements for grants authorized under Sections 301, 302, and 501 of PRIIA. [This paragraph added for clarification: August 24, 2012]

Comment Period

The Draft State Rail Plan Guidance was announced in the Federal Register on Tuesday, August 14, 2012. The public comment period is open for 60 days from the date of publication. To ensure that comments are not entered into the docket more than once, please submit comments by only one of the following methods, making sure to include the docket number [FRA-2012-0066]:

• Docket: FRA-2012-0066. Follow the instructions for submitting comments on the U.S. Government electronic docket site;
• Fax: (202) 493-2251;
• Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Docket Operations, M-30, Room W12-140, Washington, DC, 20590-0001; or
• Hand Delivery: Room W12-140 on the first floor of the West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC, 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.