FY24 Northeast Corridor Cooperative Agreement to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation | FR AMT 24 010

Opportunity Information: Apply for FR AMT 24 010

The FY24 Northeast Corridor Cooperative Agreement to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Funding Opportunity Number FR AMT 24 010) is a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) discretionary cooperative agreement that provides a single, dedicated funding award to Amtrak under the authority of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-42). The opportunity makes up to $582,742,520 available, with the stated purpose of covering Amtrak capital and debt service needs. The funds are available for use through December 31, 2026, or until the award is fully spent, whichever comes first, giving Amtrak a multi-year window to apply the money to eligible commitments tied to infrastructure and related financing obligations.

This grant is narrowly structured in terms of eligibility and expected competition. Amtrak is explicitly the only entity eligible to apply, and the FRA anticipates making one award, reflecting that the program is designed as a direct appropriation pass-through rather than an open, multi-applicant competition. The activity falls under the transportation category and is associated with CFDA number 20.315. Because it is a cooperative agreement, FRA involvement is typically more hands-on than in a standard grant, with ongoing coordination and oversight expected as Amtrak carries out the funded work and meets federal requirements.

To receive the funds, Amtrak must submit a complete electronic application package by the closing date listed as June 24, 2024 (with the opportunity created June 10, 2024). The required submission materials include the standard federal application form SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance) and a Statement of Work that lays out what Amtrak will do with the funding and how the work will be managed. Beyond these baseline items, the FRA requires narrative and planning documentation that connects the requested funds to Amtrak’s operating context and investment priorities. Specifically, Amtrak must provide a description of projected operating and capital costs for the upcoming fiscal year for Northeast Corridor (NEC) activities, covering both train services and NEC infrastructure, and also address National Network activities, including state-supported routes and long-distance routes. These projections must be presented in comparison to prior fiscal year actual financial performance, which effectively forces a year-over-year framing that helps FRA evaluate trends, assumptions, and the relationship between planned spending and real-world results.

A central application component is the capital plan description. Amtrak must identify the capital projects that would be funded by this award, provide cost estimates for those projects, and include an estimated timetable for completion. This requirement signals that the award is meant to support defined, trackable investments rather than vague or purely notional uses of capital. Alongside the project list and schedule, FRA also requires an update on the status of Amtrak’s efforts to improve its safety culture. That element emphasizes that federal funding is tied not only to physical assets and financial obligations, but also to organizational safety performance and continuous improvement expectations.

The application package must also include a set of federal assurances and certifications that govern compliance and standard award conditions. These include SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction Programs) and SF-424D (Assurances for Construction Programs), recognizing that the funded activities may involve both construction-related and non-construction elements. In addition, Amtrak must submit signed copies of the U.S. Department of Transportation/FRA Assurances and Certification forms referenced in the opportunity (available at the FRA link provided in the notice). Collectively, these documents establish commitments related to federal compliance areas that commonly include civil rights, nondiscrimination, lobbying restrictions, financial management standards, and other statutory and administrative requirements tied to federal assistance.

In practical terms, this opportunity functions as a formal mechanism for FRA to obligate and oversee a congressionally appropriated sum specifically intended for Amtrak’s NEC-related capital and debt service needs, while also requiring Amtrak to situate those needs within its broader operating and capital picture across both the NEC and the National Network. The result is a funding action that is large in scale, time-limited for expenditure through the end of 2026, and documentation-heavy in a way that supports federal accountability for project selection, cost realism, schedules, and safety culture progress.

• The DOT - Federal Railroad Administration in the transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY24 Northeast Corridor Cooperative Agreement to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.315.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-06-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-06-24. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $582,742,520.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for FR AMT 24 010

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