By Trish Svoboda

The Kansas Department of Transportation has announced the availability of approximately $10 million in funding for submissions to the Rail Service Improvement Program. The program aims to select projects that will bolster safety, enhance economic efficiency, and contribute to the sustainability of Kansas’s rail infrastructure.

Submissions for the rail program are open from July 1, with a deadline set for noon on August 30. The announcement of the awards is planned for the spring of 2025. Participants in the program must contribute a 30% match of the total project cost, and there are no specified limits for the minimum or maximum amounts for project awards.

Eligible applicants include Surface Transportation Board-certified Class II or Class III railroads, port authorities recognized under Kansas law, entities compliant with K.S.A. 75-5050 regulations, or any industry track owners or lessees as defined in 49 C.F.R. § 218.93, situated on or near a Class II or Class III railroad within Kansas.

A link to the application portal can be found on KDOT’s website: https://www.ksdot.gov/bureaus/burRail/rail/default.asp.