Economy

Passenger Trains > FRA awards PTC implementation grants

Date: 08/28/18 18:34
FRA awards PTC implementation grants
Author: illini73

Of interest to readers of this Board, the grants included $11 million to CALTRANS for design and installation of PTC at 30 control points and 111 intermediate signal locations on the Coast Line, Oakland to San Luis Obispo, CA; and $30 million to Rio Metro for PTC implementation on the New Mexico Rail Runner Express line betwee Belen and Santa Fe, NM.

Full list is here: FRA PTC Implementation Grants

The FRA finished the entire application/selection process for these grants in only 49 days. This round represents about $204 million out of the $250 million available; another round of applications for the remaining $46 million will be solicited by the FRA very soon.

FRA Awards More Than $200 Million for PTC Implementation

Friday, August 24, 2018

WASHINGTON – The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today awarded $203,698,298 in grant funding for 28 projects in 15 states to assist with the deployment of positive train control (PTC) systems.

“These $200 million in grants will help the railroads continue to implement positive train control, a technology that could help reduce accidents and save lives,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

FRA is making awards to 28 projects for a total of $203 million of the $250 million specifically appropriated under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 for the implementation of PTC systems, via the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program. A Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for $250 million in PTC Systems Grants was issued in May, and applications under that solicitation were due on July 2.

In an effort to assist railroads as they work towards fulfilling the Congressional PTC mandate, the U.S. Department of Transportation focused its resources on releasing these important funds in an expeditious manner. The application review and selection process was completed in 49 days, in order to award these funds in advance of the December 31, 2018 deadline.

In addition, FRA expects in the coming days to issue a second NOFO soliciting applications for PTC systems deployment projects based on the balance of the $250 million that remained after today’s awards were announced. Applications for the $46,301,702 under this second solicitation will be due 30 days after the NOFO is published in the Federal Register.
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More about PTC systems can be found at the following link: https://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0358.

Updated: Friday, August 24, 2018