Commission receives federal grant to expand work on improving passenger rail service in Midwest

The Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission in March received a two-year, Interstate Rail Compacts (IRC) grant of up to $300,000 from the Federal Railroad Administration.

This is the first funding being made available under the new IRC grant program, which was created in the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law”).

The FRA announced the opportunity for the first round of funding, for federal fiscal years 2022 and 2023, in May 2023.

A team of MIPRC officers, commissioners and partners prepared the commission’s application, which was submitted in July. Grant recipients are required to provide a 50 percent match.

The grant will enable MIPRC to further its mission — to improve and expand passenger rail service in the Midwest by facilitating interstate collaboration and federal advocacy — by expanding its staff, updating and modernizing its electronic and published communications, and strengthening its ability to apply and compete for future federal planning grants.

The grant will also help MIPRC evolve into the enhanced regional governance authority envisioned by the FRA-led Midwest Regional Rail Plan of 2021, which set forth a strategic 40-year vision for the Midwest’s passenger rail network.

Current MIPRC member states are Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota and Wisconsin. Iowa, Nebraska and Ohio are eligible to rejoin the compact; South Dakota also is eligible to join.

CSG Midwest provides secretariat services to MIPRC.

Learn more about MIPRC at miprc.org.