Amtrak awarded nearly $200 million in CRISI grants

Amtrak and its partners obtained nearly $200 million in federal grants through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program to benefit four projects in the northeast and southeast United States.

Announced yesterday by the Federal Railroad Administration, the Amtrak CRISI grant awards will help launch new and expanded passenger-rail service, advance safety and reliability improvements and provide workforce opportunities, Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner said in a press release.

One of the four grants — $178 million for the project to reintroduce Amtrak service along the Gulf Coast for the first time since 2005 — was announced last week.

The other three projects to receive CRISI grants are:
• $8.8 million for the Northeast Corridor Fencing Program, which calls for a study and survey of future fence-installation sites vulnerable to and at high risk for unauthorized access along the corridor. The project will help Amtrak plan for future related capital work aimed at increasing safety in the communities that Amtrak travels through. Amtrak will provide a 20% non-federal match;
• $8.8 million for the Workforce Development Apprenticeship Training Program, which calls for the development of a training and apprenticeship program for new track foremen and inspector employees. Amtrak will provide a 20 percent non-federal match; and
• $1.8 million for the Mississippi-Louisiana Grade Crossing Improvement Project, which will be pursued in partnership with CN and the two southern states. Amtrak will study and prioritize grade crossings along the city of New Orleans route to be improved. Amtrak will provide a 20% non-federal match.

In addition, Amtrak supported other grants submitted by other entities that received CRISI funding, including the Massachusetts Department of Transportation's Boston and Albany Line Improvement Project; the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority's Franconia-Springfield Bypass Project; and the Maryland Department of Transportation's MARC Penn-Camden Line Connector Project.