At-Grade Crossing Enhancement Act of 2015

At-Grade Crossing Enhancement Act of 2015

This bill directs the Federal Railroad Administration to establish a local rail facilities and safety program to mitigate the impacts of railroad operations in local communities through improvements to highway-rail grade crossings, rail line relocation and improvement projects, and training and technical assistance to local governments. In carrying out the program, the Administration may award grants to eligible entities for freight capacity projects.

The bill defines "eligible entity" to mean one or more states, an Interstate Compact, a local government, a tribal government, or one or more metropolitan planning organizations.

A grant awarded under the program may be used for:

• a capital project to mitigate the impacts of rail infrastructure and operations on a local community;
• a capital project to improve short-line railroad infrastructure;
• training and technical assistance to help local governments better understand how to coordinate with railroad carriers on operations and safety issues and on the integration of railroad issues into land use and transportation planning processes; and
• payment of all or a portion of the subsidy and administrative costs of projects eligible for federal credit assistance under the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 for a capital project to improve short-line railroad infrastructure.