The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced the selection of six projects in six states to replace aging passenger railcars.
Officials said the selections represent first-time funding from the new Rail Vehicle Replacement Program, which was created to improve safety, service, and customer experience on subways, commuter rail, and light rail systems. The grants largely invest in medium-sized transit agencies that often lack the resources needed to make long-overdue improvements.
Officials contend that older railcars contribute to service delays and increased costs. They may also lack accessibility features for some riders.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also called the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will invest a total of $1.5 billion in new funding through 2026 for railcars under this program.
| State | Project Sponsor | Project Description | Funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA | Sacramento Regional Transit District | The Sacramento Regional Transit District in Sacramento, CA., will receive funding to buy 16 new light rail vehicles to replace older vehicles that exceeded their useful life. This project will improve the agency's state-of-good repair needs and service reliability for the region's 1.7 million residents. | $45,096,936 |
| FL | South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) | The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, which operates the Tri-Rail commuter rail service in Miami along a 72-mile South Florida Rail Corridor will receive funding to replace approximately 24 rail vehicles (or 32% of its fleet). The funding will support new locomotives and passenger cars, that have exceeded, or are near the end of their useful life. This project will ensure safe, reliable, and efficient transportation for Tri-Rail's 12,500 daily riders. | $71,700,000 |
| IL | Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) | The Chicago Transit Authority will receive funding to buy up to 300 new electric propulsion passenger railcars to replace older rail cars, operating since the 1980s. This project will improve CTA's state of good repair needs as the average age of its rail fleet is nearly 40 years old. | $200,000,000 |
| MO/IL | Bi-State Development Agency of the Missouri-Illinois Metropolitan District | The Bi-State Development Agency of the Missouri-Illinois Metropolitan District, the operator of the Metro public transportation system serving the St. Louis metropolitan region, will receive funding to replace up to 48 light rail vehicles that have exceeded, or are near the end of their useful life. This project will improve service reliability and state of good repair needs. | $196,296,401 |
| OH | Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) | The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) will receive funding to buy 60 new light rail and heavy rail vehicles to replace older vehicles that can operate on both systems, eliminating the need for GCRTA to run two separate fleets. This project will improve system reliability and safety and enhance the agency’s operational flexibility. | $130,000,000 |
| UT | Utah Transit Authority (UTA) | The Utah Transit Authority will receive funding to buy 20 new light rail vehicles to replace older vehicles. The project will improve service reliability, safety and significantly improve the accessibility for riders by allowing direct access | $60,000,000 |
