The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation recently opened the grant application period for $41 million worth of funding via its Rail Transportation Assistance Program or RTAP and the Rail Freight Assistance Program or RFAP. The grant application for both programs is open until August 29.
[Above photo by PennDOT]
The agency said RTAP is a capital budget grant program funded through bonds, while RFAP is funded through the Multimodal Fund created by Act 89 of 2013.
Both programs provide financial assistance for investment in rail freight infrastructure, with the intent of preserving essential rail freight service and stimulating economic growth through new or expanded rail freight service, PennDOT said.
[Editor’s note: In May, Garrett Eucalitto – commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Transportation and the 2024-2025 president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials – testified at a hearing held by the House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to explore ways to improve the “efficiency and effectiveness” of federal rail funding, both for passenger and freight service.]
Pennsylvania has 65 operating railroads and PennDOT stressed it is “committed” to working with private rail operators and rail-served businesses to construct new rail lines and assist in maintaining and improving the state’s roughly 5,600 miles of freight rail lines.
“Pennsylvania’s rail freight network keeps goods moving and supports the economy, making it a critical piece of our transportation infrastructure,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll in a statement.
“These investments are another example of the [Governor Josh] Shapiro Administration’s commitment to bolstering the business community and enhancing rail-line safety,” he noted.
During its 2024 grant period for the RTAP and RFAP initiatives, PennDOT said it awarded $55 million to 30 rail freight projects.
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