FRA selects 91 rail-crossing projects for $1.24 billion, but only 37 include construction

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

On Oct. 30, the Federal Railroad Administration selected 91 railroad-crossing projects in 37 states to share $1.24 billion. The grants are meant to close dangerous highway-rail intersections and upgrade warning signals.

An Engineering News-Record review of agency records found that only 37 of the selections have federally funded scopes that include construction. Those 37 take nearly 90% of the money, yet several owners say work will not start until 2028 or later.

Why it matters

The awards set the order in which 264 requested crossing fixes get built, and how long drivers wait at blocked crossings.

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Key Indicators

$1.24B

Total grant funding

Awarded through the FY 2025-26 Railroad Crossing Elimination program.

Projects selected

Spread across 37 states.

Selections that include construction

The rest stop at planning, project development or final design.

Selections without construction

Their federally funded scopes end before physical work.

~90%

Share of money in construction-stage selections

FRA does not break out funding by lifecycle stage.

264

Applications received

The selected projects were chosen from this pool.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Sean P. Duffy

U.S. Secretary of Transportation

Announced the awards on Oct. 30, 2026

Organizations Involved

Federal Railroad Administration

Federal agency

Selected the 91 projects and administers the grants

The FRA is the Department of Transportation arm that regulates rail safety and runs the Railroad Crossing Elimination grant program.

U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)

Federal Agency

Announced the grant package

The department oversees the FRA and announced the crossing awards.

Caltrain

Commuter rail operator

Received $90.4 million for the Broadway Grade Separation

Caltrain operates commuter rail on the San Francisco Peninsula and received one of the largest construction-stage selections.

Texas Department of Transportation

State transportation agency

Received $46 million for the RM 2871 overpass

TxDOT received funding for an overpass in Fort Worth but still lists the broader corridor as unfunded for construction.

North Carolina Department of Transportation

State agency

Received $35.8 million for crossing signal upgrades

NCDOT's Rail Division is working to restore passenger service between Salisbury and Asheville.

Georgia Department of Transportation

State transportation agency

Received $31.7 million for signal preemption upgrades

Georgia DOT will upgrade railroad preemption interconnection at about 31 high-risk crossings.

Port Authority of Kansas City

Regional port authority

Received $72 million for a grade separation

The authority received the largest single selection in the package.

Timeline

2025 November 2026

4 events Latest: Yesterday

Tap a bar to jump to that date

November 2026
ENR finds only 37 selections include construction
Latest Analysis

Engineering News-Record reports the 37 construction-stage selections take nearly 90% of the money.
Yesterday
October 2026
FRA selects 91 crossing projects for $1.24 billion
Funding

The Federal Railroad Administration picks 91 projects in 37 states from 264 applications.
4 days ago
June 2026
Caltrain reaches 65% design on Broadway separation
Design

Caltrain completes 65% design on the Burlingame grade separation, estimated at $662 million.
June 2026
2025
North Carolina study backs western rail restoration
Study

A state study finds restoring passenger service to western North Carolina could benefit the regional economy.
2025

Scenarios

Caltrain breaks ground on Broadway Grade Separation by late 2028

Possible Resolves by End of 2028

Discussed by: Caltrain project schedules cited by Engineering News-Record

Caltrain completed 65% design in June 2026 and says construction could begin in November 2028 if it secures the remaining funding. Flatiron-Herzog JV is the construction manager and general contractor, and an updated estimate at 95% design will set the guaranteed maximum price. A start would make it one of the first construction-stage selections to move.

Most construction-stage crossing projects slip past their stated start dates

Likely Resolves by End of 2029

Discussed by: Engineering News-Record's review of owner schedules

ENR found several major projects years from breaking ground: Utah's Sharp-Tintic connection in 2028-29, Nampa in early 2030, and Longview in 2030-32. TxDOT still lists the broader RM 2871 corridor as unfunded. If remaining funding gaps persist, more of the 37 construction-stage selections follow the same path.

FRA publishes a lifecycle-stage breakdown of the $1.24 billion

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Engineering News-Record, which noted FRA does not break out funding by stage

ENR counted a selection as construction-stage only when FRA explicitly listed construction among federally funded lifecycle stages. FRA did not respond to a request to confirm how many of the 37 will reach procurement within 18 months. A published breakdown would let the public see how much of the money is tied to physical work.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

August 2026

FRA's $5.3 billion rail awards (August 2026)

The FRA selected 41 rail projects for nearly $5.32 billion. An Engineering News-Record analysis found about $3.08 billion was tied to fixed infrastructure, and $2.49 billion of that went to projects whose federally funded scopes reached construction.

Then

The awards followed the same pattern: most money to construction-stage work, but a large share of selections stopped earlier.

Now

It gave reporters and analysts a benchmark for testing whether federal rail money translates into shovels in the ground.

Why this matters now

The October crossing awards repeat the structure, with 37 of 91 selections reaching construction.

1975–2026

Western North Carolina passenger rail (1975–2026)

Passenger rail service to western North Carolina ended in 1975. A 2025 state study found restoring service could benefit the regional economy. NCDOT is now working with communities on a Salisbury-Asheville corridor.

Then

NCDOT received $35.8 million in the October awards to upgrade more than 40 crossing signal systems along the route.

Now

The corridor would connect with Charlotte, the Piedmont and the Triangle, but restoration remains years away.

Why this matters now

It shows how long rail projects can sit between a study and construction, the gap the FRA grants are meant to narrow.