Freight rail, grade crossings & infrastructure
FRA selects 91 rail-crossing projects for $1.24 billion in federal grants
· Source: Federal Railroad Administration / Railway Age / Progressive Railroading
The Federal Railroad Administration selected 91 projects across 37 states for approximately $1.24 billion through the FY 2025–2026 Railroad Crossing Elimination program. The portfolio includes grade separations, crossing closures, signal work and early-stage planning; the awards do not mean that every project is funded, contracted or under construction now.
Summary and practical context by RoadHouse Recruiting · Reviewed
The selections cover 37 states and several stages of work
FRA says the FY 2025–2026 program selected 91 grants totaling about $1.24 billion. Eligible work includes planning, environmental review, design, grade separations, crossing closures and signal improvements. Because the portfolio mixes development awards with construction awards, the announcement should not be read as 91 finished projects or a single nationwide construction start date.
Several large awards target freight bottlenecks as well as safety
The selections include $107.7 million for a New York grade separation, $90.4 million for the Burlingame Broadway separation in California, $72 million for the Port Authority of Kansas City to remove three at-grade crossings, $66.4 million for work in Blaine, Washington, and $65.2 million for projects in Clovis, New Mexico. These projects can reduce collision exposure and blocked-road delays, but freight benefits depend on final design, construction sequencing and how local traffic is managed during the work.
Other grants fund planning or signal work rather than immediate construction
Marana, Arizona, is slated for $6.4 million for environmental and preliminary design work on a future grade separation. Georgia received $31.7 million for railroad-preemption connections at roughly 31 high-risk crossings, and St. Louis County, Minnesota, received $1.7 million to evaluate four crossings along a Canadian National corridor. Those examples illustrate why carriers should verify the scope of a local award before expecting a new overpass or changed route.
Selection begins the delivery process
Recipients still move through grant agreements and, depending on the project, environmental review, final design, matching-fund commitments, procurement and construction. FRA did not announce one completion calendar for the portfolio. Individual state DOTs, cities, ports and railroads will publish the notices that actually affect detours, crossing closures, terminal access and construction traffic.
What carriers, terminals and local fleets should monitor
RoadHouse perspective: map selected projects against regular routes, yards and customer facilities, then follow the recipient agency—not only the federal announcement—for design meetings, bid dates and traffic-control plans. Dispatchers should plan around confirmed closures and work zones only when local notices are issued, while safety teams can use the project list to identify crossings that already have documented risk or blockage concerns.
Understanding the update
FRA's October 30 announcement and program page provide the selection count, federal amount and project descriptions. Railway Age and Progressive Railroading independently reviewed the awards and highlighted different recipients. The sources consistently describe selected grants, not completed construction, and no single portfolio-wide opening date was announced.
What it means for drivers and carriers
The federal selections could improve freight mobility and crossing safety, but operational effects will arrive project by project. Fleets should follow local recipient schedules before changing routes or delivery plans.
Questions to consider
- Is the nearby award for planning, design, signals or construction?
- When will the recipient publish detours, crossing closures or procurement dates?
- Which customers, terminals or emergency routes depend on the affected crossing?
Read the original reporting
This page provides an original summary and practical commentary. The linked source contains the full reporting. Older stories reflect information available on their published dates.
Read the source at Federal Railroad Administration / Railway Age / Progressive Railroading ↗ (opens in a new tab)