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Summary

The Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) high speed intercity passenger rail (HSIPR) grant program is intended to help address the Nation’s transportation challenges by investing in an efficient high speed rail network. Since 2009, Congress has appropriated over $10 billion for this program. As of September 2013, FRA had obligated nearly all and disbursed approximately $1.4 billion. Nearly 85 percent of funding obligated to date has been dedicated to 6 corridors, with the California corridor receiving the largest portion—$3.9 billion. We previously reported that FRA’s lack of an effective grants administration framework may be putting Federal funds at risk. In December 2013, the Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials requested that we evaluate FRA’s processes for negotiating, amending, and overseeing compliance with HSIPR grant agreements. Accordingly, our objectives will be to evaluate FRA’s policies, procedures, and processes for (1) amending HSIPR grant agreements and (2) identifying and mitigating funding risks to federally-funded HSIPR projects.