Railroad Crossing Elimination (20.327)
Railroad Crossing Elimination (Assistance Listing 20.327) is run by the Federal Railroad Administration, part of the Department of Transportation. It awarded $342 million in 87 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $3.9 million per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $1.1 million. Half of the 87 awards fell between $510,622 and $2.9 million, and they ranged from $60,000 to $36.0 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$342 million
- Grant awards87
- Typical award$1.1 million
- Awarded in FY 2025$239 million
- Size rank462 of 1,823
- Type of assistanceGrant
Key findings
- It is the 462nd largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 82% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 35 states and territories.
What the program funds
The goals of the Program are (1) to eliminate highway-rail grade crossings that are frequently blocked by trains; (2) to improve the health and safety of communities; (3) to reduce the impacts that freight movement and railroad operations may have on underserved communities; and (4) to improve the mobility of people and goods.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
State, State (includes District of Columbia, public institutions of higher education and hospitals), U.S. Territories and possessions, Local (includes State-designated Indian Tribes, excludes institutions of higher education and hospitals, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments, U.S. Territories and possessions (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals), Interstate, Intrastate, Government - General The following entities are eligible to receive a grant: (1) A State, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and other United States territories and possessions; (2) A political subdivision of a State; (3) A federally recognized Indian Tribe; (4) A unit of local government or a group of local governments; (5) A public port authority; (6) A metropolitan planning organization; (7) A group of entities described in any of paragraphs (1) through (6).
What the money can and cannot pay for
The Secretary may award a grant under the Program for a highway-rail or pathway-rail grade crossing improvement project (including acquiring real property interests) involving (1) grade separation or closure, including through the use of a bridge, embankment, tunnel, or combination thereof; (2) track relocation; (3) the improvement or installation of protective devices, signals, signs, or other measures to improve safety, provided that such activities are related to a separation or relocation project described in paragraph (1) or (2); (4) other means to improve the safety and mobility of people and goods at highway-rail grade crossings (including technological solutions); (5) a group of related projects described in paragraphs (1) through (4) that would collectively improve the mobility of people and goods; or (6) the planning, environmental review, and design of an eligible project described in paragraphs (1) through (5).
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. The Federal share of the cost of a project carried out using a grant under the Program may not exceed 80 percent of the total cost of the project. Applicants may count costs incurred for preliminary engineering associated with highway-rail and pathway-rail grade crossing improvement projects as part of the total project costs.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines
Award range and average, in the agency's words
Grants within these programs ranged from $76,000 to $36,000,000 with an average of $5,145,292.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2024: Twenty (20) new projects were funded under the program in FY 2024.Fiscal Year2025: FRA expects to obligate up to seventy (70) new projects under the program in FY 2025.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Railroad Crossing Elimination (20.327) awarded $342 million across 87 grant awards, an average of $3.9 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rail Development Commission Ohio | Ohio | 2 | $40.0 million |
| Idaho Department of Transportation | Idaho | 1 | $36.0 million |
| County of Dona Ana | New Mexico | 1 | $31.2 million |
| North Dakota Department of Transportation | North Dakota | 1 | $30.0 million |
| City of Monroe | Michigan | 1 | $24.0 million |
| Texas Department of Transportation | Texas | 1 | $19.6 million |
| City of Decatur | Illinois | 1 | $16.0 million |
| Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization | Florida | 1 | $15.4 million |
| City of Eau Claire | Wisconsin | 1 | $10.0 million |
| Town of Schererville Public Works Department | Indiana | 1 | $8.5 million |
| Village of Franklin Park | Illinois | 1 | $8.0 million |
| Utah Department of Transportation | Utah | 1 | $7.5 million |
| City of Palo Alto | California | 1 | $6.0 million |
| City of Detroit | Michigan | 1 | $5.2 million |
| Kandiyohi, County of | Minnesota | 1 | $4.8 million |
| Oregon International Port of Coos Bay | Oregon | 1 | $4.0 million |
| County of MC Kinley | New Mexico | 1 | $3.3 million |
| City of Bluffdale | Utah | 1 | $3.2 million |
| City of Little Falls | Minnesota | 1 | $3.2 million |
| City of Helena | Montana | 1 | $3.2 million |
Who usually wins
Almost all of the money went to state and local governments.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| State and local governments | 86 | $341 million | 100% |
| Nonprofits | 1 | $800,000 | 0.2% |
By state
29 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 3 | $43.0 million |
| Idaho | 2 | $37.2 million |
| New Mexico | 2 | $34.5 million |
| North Dakota | 1 | $30.0 million |
| Michigan | 3 | $29.6 million |
| Illinois | 3 | $24.2 million |
| Texas | 6 | $23.6 million |
| Florida | 3 | $16.0 million |
| Indiana | 7 | $12.9 million |
| Utah | 2 | $10.7 million |
| Minnesota | 5 | $10.5 million |
| California | 4 | $10.1 million |
| Wisconsin | 1 | $10.0 million |
| Virginia | 7 | $9.1 million |
| Oregon | 2 | $5.0 million |
| Georgia | 5 | $5.0 million |
| Montana | 2 | $3.6 million |
| Kansas | 3 | $2.9 million |
| Connecticut | 2 | $2.8 million |
| Missouri | 2 | $2.8 million |
| Arkansas | 3 | $2.5 million |
| West Virginia | 4 | $2.4 million |
| Washington | 1 | $2.0 million |
| Colorado | 2 | $1.9 million |
| Maryland | 2 | $1.7 million |
| Delaware | 1 | $1.6 million |
| Tennessee | 1 | $1.3 million |
| North Carolina | 1 | $1.2 million |
| South Dakota | 1 | $1.0 million |
| New Jersey | 1 | $800,000 |
| Nebraska | 1 | $600,000 |
| Iowa | 1 | $540,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | $375,000 |
| New York | 1 | $159,600 |
| South Carolina | 1 | $60,000 |