FRA publish notice of funding opportunity for maglev deployment projects

Maglev high-speed rail transportation already operates in Shanghai, China.

The Federal Railroad Administration have published in the Federal Register a notice of a grant funding opportunity for magnetic levitation (maglev) deployment projects.

The notice states: “This notice details the application requirements and procedures to obtain grant funding for eligible projects under the Magnetic Levitation Technology Deployment Programme (Maglev Grants Programme). Maglev Grants Programme funding under this notice is provided by two sources, totalling $24,027,500.” It continues: “Under this [notice of funding opportunity], a total of $24,027,500 is available for eligible capital project costs and preconstruction planning activities for eligible Maglev projects.”

The notice provides information for interested parties on how to apply for the available grants, providing their projects are eligible under the Magnetic Levitation Technology Deployment Programme.

The grant is supplied by two funding sources, as mentioned above: $10 million was sourced from Congress in 2019, and the additional $14 million will come from funds authorised by Congress in 2008 under segments of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act. Requirements are different for each source – the $10 million grant is not limited, but the $14 million grant is restricted to only the Pittsburgh, Baltimore-Washington, and Atlanta-Chattanooga projects.