Roughly $101 million in state funding has been awarded to support 25 projects across New York State; grants that aim to modernize key freight lines and port facilities under the state’s Passenger and Freight Rail Assistance Program or PFRAP.
[Above photo by NYSDOT]
PFRAP is administered by the New York State Department of Transportation and funds projects that support the safe movement of freight goods, improve service reliability to retain and grow manufacturing jobs, and support economic development.
Winning projects were selected through a competitive solicitation process and rated based on established criteria including a benefit cost analysis, adherence to regional economic development plans, safety enhancements, compatibility with other private and public investments, and actions that enhance resilience and reduce climate risk.
In a statement, Governor Kathy Hochul (D) explained that investments in those projects – which focus on track and bridge rehabilitation, capacity expansion, procurement of cleaner rail equipment, and the modernization and expansion of rail infrastructure in freight yards and at seaport facilities – will “enhance the reliability and resiliency” of major trade corridors while also combating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector.
“New York’s freight rail network is vital to our economy, and these investments represent a downpayment on a greener, safer and more productive state,” the governor said. “New York is a national leader in freight rail, which is a fuel-efficient method to transport goods throughout the state and across the country. Investing in key freight infrastructure is a step forward in reducing New York’s emissions while modernizing our rail system.”
“Freight rail and port infrastructure is critical to New York’s global footprint while providing cost-effective solutions to getting goods to market quickly and efficiently,” added Marie Therese Dominguez, NYSDOT commissioner. “New York is making crucial infrastructure investments that will help the state remain competitive as an economic leader while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
Other state departments of transportation recently announced similar freight project investments as well.
For example, the Minnesota Department of Transportation recently awarded a total of $76.2 million through three competitive grant programs to more than two dozen transportation projects statewide to help improve freight options, travel time reliability, and economic development.
Meanwhile, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is overseeing nearly $3 million in grant awards to railroads and local governments to finance nine projects for industrial access and railway infrastructure improvement in seven counties statewide; projects that will address rail line expansion and access road construction, as well as signal and lighting upgrades at public crossings.
Separately, KYTC is also overseeing $2.3 million in grant awards to eight projects at six of Kentucky’s public riverports via the state’s Kentucky Public Riverport Construction and Maintenance program.
And in October 2025, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation issued two grants totaling $1.1 million from its Industrial Rail Access Program or IRAP to enhance freight rail access, economic opportunity, and job growth statewide.
The agency noted that IRAP is a competitive state-funded public/private partnership program that provides financial assistance to companies investing in rail infrastructure that directly leads to their increased use of the rail network and related reduction in regional truck traffic.
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