FY26 Northeast Corridor Cooperative Agreement to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation | FR AMT 26 003

Opportunity Information: Apply for FR AMT 26 003

The FY26 Northeast Corridor Cooperative Agreement to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Funding Opportunity Number FR AMT 26 003) is a discretionary cooperative agreement administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) under CFDA 20.315. It is a single-recipient funding action in which Amtrak is the only eligible applicant, and FRA expects to make one award. The opportunity was created on December 11, 2025, and the original application closing date is January 8, 2026.

The agreement makes up to $379,562,566 available to Amtrak to cover Capital and Debt Service costs. The funding is provided pursuant to the FY2026 Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch and Extensions Act (Public Law 119-37). Once awarded, the funds remain available for use through January 31, 2029, or until the funding is fully expended, whichever occurs first. In practical terms, this is a multi-year window that allows Amtrak to schedule and execute capital work and meet debt service needs without being limited to a single fiscal year spending deadline.

To receive the funds, Amtrak must submit a complete grant application package electronically. The required components include the standard Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) and a Statement of Work that lays out what will be done with the funds and how the work will be managed. FRA also requires a detailed financial narrative describing projected operating and capital costs for the upcoming fiscal year. This cost discussion must cover both (1) Northeast Corridor (NEC) activities, including train services and infrastructure, and (2) National Network activities, including state-supported routes and long-distance routes. Importantly, the projections have to be presented in comparison to prior fiscal year actual financial performance, so the application needs to show how upcoming plans align with, differ from, or respond to real-world results from the previous year.

In addition to the operating and capital cost picture, Amtrak must provide a focused description of the capital projects that will be funded using this award. FRA expects project-level detail, including cost estimates and an estimated timetable for completion for the projects included in the request. This requirement is aimed at demonstrating that the funding will be tied to defined investments with credible budgets and schedules, rather than being described only at a high level.

The application must also address organizational safety, specifically by describing the status of Amtrak's efforts to improve its safety culture. This element signals that FRA is not only tracking dollars and deliverables, but also looking for evidence of ongoing progress in safety management practices, workforce engagement, reporting culture, accountability, and other safety-culture-related initiatives.

Finally, Amtrak must include the standard federal assurances associated with both non-construction and construction activities: SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction Programs) and SF-424D (Assurances for Construction Programs). The package must also include signed copies of the U.S. DOT/FRA Assurances and Certification forms, which FRA provides at http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/admin/assurancesandcertifications.pdf. These documents collectively establish the legal and administrative commitments that come with accepting federal funds, including compliance with applicable federal requirements.

Overall, this opportunity is essentially the mechanism FRA uses to provide a congressionally directed appropriation to Amtrak for NEC-related and broader network financial needs tied to capital investment and debt service. The emphasis of the application is on clear documentation: planned versus prior-year financials, specific capital project scopes with cost and schedule expectations, and a current accounting of safety culture improvement efforts, all supported by the required federal forms and certifications.

• The DOT - Federal Railroad Administration in the transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY26 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 2025-12-11.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-01-08. (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 $379,562,566.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for FR AMT 26 003

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