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10/14/2022
The Federal Transit Administration yesterday announced $600 million in competitive grant funding is available for rail-car replacement.
Grant applications are due Jan. 5, 2023. The Rail Vehicle Replacement Program will support transit agencies and state and local government authorities looking to replace rail vehicles that have exceeded their useful life, FTA officials said in a press release.
Older rail cars contribute to service delays and increased costs while lacking newer amenities, like digital signage and audio features, FTA officials said. One-third of subway and commuter rail cars are more than 25 years old.
The program was renewed with $1.5 billion in new funding over the next five years as part of the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Meanwhile, the FTA also issued two new safety advisories addressing passenger rail-car inspection and signals and train control safety. They are the first safety advisories to be issued this year.
Safety Advisory 22-1 recommends that state safety oversight agencies and transit-rail agencies review their current policies, procedures and checklists for periodic maintenance inspections for rail-car passenger door inspection and function testing.
Safety Advisory 22-2 recommends that agencies that operate rail fixed guideway public transport systems consider signal system safety and train control as part of their safety risk management processes.