Texas Wins $755m to Grade-Separate 12 Rail Crossings, the Largest Award in the US Package

The Texas Department of Transportation has been awarded more than $755 million to build 12 rail grade separations across the state, the largest amount going to any single recipient in the US Department of Transportation's $5.3 billion rail funding round announced on 14 August at Cincinnati Union Terminal.

The money comes through the Federal Railroad Administration's Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail programme and will replace level crossings with bridges or underpasses at sites across eight counties: Bexar, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Bend, Guadalupe, Harris, Kaufman and Tarrant. Every crossing sits on an Amtrak route. The single largest selection provides up to $385 million for seven separations along the Sunset Limited corridor in Cibolo, El Paso, Missouri City, San Antonio and Sugar Land, covering design, right-of-way acquisition and construction.

TxDOT contributed $77.6 million of state money to unlock the four federal grants, drawn from the Off-System Rail Grade Separation State Fund created by Senate Bill 1555 and used to help local governments meet federal matching requirements. Combined local, state and federal investment exceeds $953 million.

Nationally, the FRA selected 41 projects across 23 states from 103 applications seeking more than $11.6 billion, and every recipient must provide at least 20 percent in matching funds. Engineering News-Record notes that under half the headline figure funds scopes that reach construction.