On August 14, 2026, Amtrak was awarded nearly $3 billion in federal grants from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) under the National Railroad Partnership Program. This funding represents Amtrak’s portion of a $5.3 billion grant package spanning 41 projects across 23 states, described by FRA Administrator David Fink as the largest single passenger rail funding round of the year.
New Trainset Acquisition to Modernize 21 State-Supported Routes
The grant includes $2.05 billion dedicated to procuring up to 43 new trainsets to replace aging equipment that has reached the end of its service life on state-supported routes. These trainsets will operate on 21 corridors including the Adirondack, Blue Water,
Carolinian, Amtrak Cascades, Downeaster, Empire, Keystone, Wolverine, and others. Amtrak has not yet selected a manufacturer nor signed contracts for these trainsets as of August 2026, with initial deliveries expected no earlier than 2031. The new equipment will be built in the United States complying with Buy America standards, involving nearly 100 suppliers distributed across 31 states. Amtrak and its state partners must provide a 20% funding match to move forward with procurement.
Chicago-Area Infrastructure Investments Support Maintenance and Bridge Rehabilitation
A total of $572 million will finance the relocation of Amtrak’s Midwest maintenance operations from the outdated 14th Street Yard to the Canal Street Yard in Chicago
to improve servicing efficiency and accommodate anticipated ridership increases. Additionally, $87 million is allocated for rehabilitation or replacement of over a dozen viaducts and bridges near the maintenance facilities. Another $37.25 million targets repairs on the 110-year-old South Branch Chicago River lift bridge, which experiences reliability issues during extreme weather, affecting passenger and freight rail services. Chicago functions as Amtrak’s largest long-distance hub, underscoring the importance of these upgrades.
Siemens Charger Locomotive Overhaul Responds to Reliability Issues
The grant package allocates $140.6 million to overhaul 41 Siemens Charger locomotives, including the SC44 diesel-electric fleet on Midwest routes and ALC-42 variants on long-distance lines. This funding responds to recent
reliability problems causing service cancellations, such as those affecting Midwest corridors in August 2026. Locomotive rehabilitation will occur at Siemens’ Lexington, North Carolina facility, where at least one unit was in transit as of August 2026. Siemens stated it is working closely with Amtrak to maintain fleet availability and reliable passenger service.
Additional Rail Infrastructure and Safety Enhancements Nationwide
Beyond Chicago and locomotive work, funded projects include track replacements of 31 miles near Florence, South Carolina, combined with 3,500 feet of bypass track built in collaboration with CSX. Montana will receive six miles of new second mainline track through cooperation with BNSF Railway. Grade separations are planned
for Missouri’s Marceline Subdivision and Ohio’s Symmes Road to reduce conflicts between road and rail traffic. Grants also provide $45.1 million for onboard shunt enhancement devices to improve safety across all 32 state-supported and 15 long-distance Amtrak routes.
The $2 billion awarded to Amtrak partly reutilizes funds redirected from the terminated California High-Speed Rail project, which was ended by the FRA in July 2025 due to non-compliance and a $7 billion funding gap. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasized that the investments represent putting financial resources behind “new trains and new tracks to improve transportation and make America and its rails
safer, smoother, and world class.” Amtrak Interim President Byl Herrmann said, “Thanks to these new grants and continued support from Secretary Duffy and Administrator Fink, Amtrak is investing in vital projects that will drive economic growth, create jobs, and improve and expand rail service for millions of Americans.”
