August 23, 2023

RAIL

MOVING AMERICA FORWARD

Wynne Davis and Dr. Santiago Cruz-Roveda, Office of Regional Outreach and Project Delivery

Lyle Leitelt, Office of Planning and Engineering 

Corridor ID Grant Program Webinar: Post-Selection 

Next Steps and SDP Statement of Work Framework
2

Presenters

Lyle Leitelt

Acting Chief,

Office of Planning and 

Engineering

Wynne Davis

Director,

Office of Regional Outreach

and Project Delivery

Dr. Santiago CruzRoveda

Supervisor, 

Office of Regional 

Outreach and Project 

Delivery
3

• Timeline

• Webinar purpose and objective 

• Corridor ID Overview 

• Current status

• Step 1, Step 2, Step 3 Process

• Service Development Plan Overview and Statement of Work (SOW) Framework

• Questions 

Presentation Overview 
4

Purpose of Today’s Webinar 

Provide status Explain Step 1, Step 2, 

Step 3 process in more 

detail 

Provide an 

overview of SDP 

process 

Introduce Service 

Development Plan 

SOW Framework 

Give potential 

corridor sponsors 

information to 

consider in 

preparation for 

selection 

announcements
5

November 15, 2021

Enactment of the BIL

01 02

May 13, 2022

FRA established the Corridor 

ID Program within 180 days of 

enactment

04

May 13, 2023

First Congressional 

report on the Project 

Pipeline due one year 

following Program 

establishment

December 2022

FRA publish a Notice of 

Corridor Solicitation and 

Funding Opportunity for the 

Corridor Identification and 

Development Program

03

September -

December 2022

Extensive outreach

to Corridor ID 

potential sponsors 

January – Current 

Extensive outreach

to Class I railroads 

Corridor ID Timeline
6

Late Fall 2023

Selections into Corridor 

ID Program announced 

05 08

February 2024

2nd Congressional 

report on the Project 

Pipeline due one year 

following Program 

establishment

06

Late Fall 2023

Selections under Fed-State 

Partnership National 

announced 

Fall 2023- Fall 2024

Corridors selected under 

Corridor ID complete Step 1 

and begin Step 2 

07

August 2023

CID Update Webinar

Corridor ID Timeline
7

Corridor ID Overview 
8

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Rail Development Goals

Renew Amtrak’s fleet & facilities 

and deliver high-quality intercity 

passenger rail service

Modernize the 

Northeast Corridor

Bring world-class passenger 

rail service to regions across 

the country

Build the foundation for a 

long-term rail program

Grow a safer, cleaner, 

more equitable rail 

system
9

Bring world-class 

passenger rail 

service to regions 

across the country

Build the 

foundation for a 

long-term rail 

program

Grow a safer, cleaner, 

more equitable rail 

system

Corridor ID Program Overview

Corridor ID creates a foundational framework for identifying 

and developing new or improved intercity passenger rail (IPR) 

services. Under the program, FRA will: 

Solicit proposal for 

implementing new or 

improving existing IPR 

services 

Select corridors for 

development

Partner with corridor 

sponsor to prepare (or 

update) a Service 

Development Plan 

(SDP) 

SDP includes a 

“corridor project 

inventory”

Corridor project 

inventories populate a 

prioritized “pipeline” of 

projects

Projects in the Corridor 

ID Pipeline are eligible 

for funding under FRA’s 

financial assistance 

programs
10

Corridor ID Program 

Fed State Partnership National / Other Federal Funding Programs 

Restoration & 

Enhancement 

Program

Project 

Development

Project 

Planning Final Design Construction Operation 

Development Stages Implementation Stages 

Systems 

Planning 

FRA Project Lifecycle Stages – Corresponding FRA Funding Programs 
11

Establishing the Program – Significant Policy Positions

Corridor ID will be the 

primary mechanism 

for developing offNortheast Corridor 

intercity passenger 

rail corridors and 

projects for 

subsequent 

implementation

Corridor ID is a home 

for all types of 

Intercity Passenger 

Rail corridors—new, 

significant 

improvements, and 

modest 

improvements to 

existing service are all 

welcome

Corridor ID will 

regularly solicit 

proposals for 

additional corridors 

to enter the 

program—this is not 

a one-time 

opportunity 

Level of non-Federal 

commitment may be 

modest at the 

beginning but must 

grow as a corridor 

advances through the 

Program

Corridors/Projects 

that advance to the 

Project Pipeline 

should be ready for 

immediate 

implementation

(Final Design/ 

Construction)
12

What Are the Different Types of Corridors?

New Service 

New Rail 

Line 

New Service 

Existing Rail 

Line 

Extensions Increased 

Frequencies 

Significant 

Trip Time 

Reduction 

Entirely New Service

Existing 

Service

Improvements to 

Existing Service 

Extension to 

Existing Service 
13

What Does This Mean for the Different Types of Corridors?

New Service 

New Rail 

Line 

New Service 

Existing Rail 

Line 

Extensions Increased 

Frequencies 

Significant 

Trip Time 

Reduction 

Level of Effort

Existing 

Service 

High High

Medium

Medium

Medium

Low
14

Selections made later 

this year will set the 

“baseline” for 

Corridor ID

Corridor ID map of 

selected corridors will 

illustrate FRA’s plan 

for passenger rail 

development across 

the country for new 

AND existing corridors

FRA’s goal is to align 

the two programs—

Corridor ID produces 

the Project Pipeline 

for Fed State 

Partnership – National 

Program 

In future funding 

cycles, projects 

included in the Project 

Pipeline will receive 

priority funding under 

FSP-N

FY 2022 Selections—A Baseline Year for Corridor ID 
15

Corridor ID Selection and Beyond 
16

Where Are We Now? 

FRA received over 

90 eligible 

applications under 

the program

Applications are 

currently under 

review

Several applications 

were ineligible

Debrief for ineligible 

and unselected 

corridors will follow 

announcements

Selection 

announcement 

planned for 

November

Selections into the 

program will fall into 

the three categories 

presented earlier 

(slide 12)
17

Grant Step 1: Scoping Step 2: Service Development 

Plan 

Step 3: Preliminary Engineering / 

NEPA 

Funding

Scope

Notes 

What Happens Next—Steps 1, 2, and 3

$500k / 0% match $X / 10% match

($X determined during Step 1) 

$X / 20% match

($X determined during Step 2) 

• Using Service Development Plan 

SOW framework, sponsor develops 

scope, schedule, and budget for 

Corridor SDP, accounting for work 

on-going and/or undertaken to date 

• After kick-off meeting, FRA will 

review work undertaken to date

• Step 1 grant deliverable is SDP 

SOW to include corridor-specific 

scope, schedule, and budget for 

service development planning 

• Sponsor develops a service 

development plan in accordance 

with Corridor SOW and in 

coordination with FRA 

• Final service development plan 

includes a Capital Project 

Inventory as part of the Phased 

Implementation Plan

• If readiness criteria are met, capital 

projects identified in SDP may be 

advanced into Step 3 Project 

Development, at FRA’s discretion 

and subject to funding availability 

• In coordination with FRA, sponsor 

completes preliminary engineering

for capital projects

• Sponsor completes environmental 

review in coordination with FRA 

for capital projects

• Capital projects that complete Step 

3 will move to Project Pipeline and 

may be prioritized for funding

under Fed-State Partnership 

Program 
18

Corridor ID Grant Process Overview for Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3 Grants

Kick-off Meeting Sponsor develops / FRA 

approves SOW

Grant agreement 

obligated 

Sponsor conducts work 

as described in SOW, 

submits deliverables to 

FRA

FRA reviews deliverables and work 

products, provides comments, sponsor 

addresses comments

(may take several iterations) 

FRA approves 

deliverables and final 

report

Grant agreement is 

closed

Each step will have a separate grant agreement 
19

Step 2: Service Development Plan 

Draft SOW Framework Overview
20

• FRA will release a Service Development 

Plan Framework on the Corridor ID 

Program webpage tomorrow (August 24)

• Potential corridor sponsors are 

encouraged to review SOW framework 

and begin identifying elements in the 

SOW to specific corridors

• FRA will engage the community again in 

October through presentations and 

webinars 

Service Development Plan Draft SOW Framework
21

Task 6: Financial Planning & BCA Task 7: Governance Task 8: Implementation 

Phasing 

Task 5: Environmental 

Planning 

Task 4: Transportation 

Planning 

Task 3: Alternatives 

Analysis 

Task 2: Draft Purpose & Need Stakeholder Coordination 

Step 2: Service Development Plans—Why? 

What is the corridor 

and who does it 

serves?

What are the goals 

for new or improved 

service? 

Who are the 

relevant 

stakeholders?

What are the 

alternatives to 

achieve the goals? 

What alternatives 

make sense and why 

from a transportation 

perspective?

What alternatives 

make sense from an 

environmental 

perspective?

What are the improvements required for 

service, how much do they cost, and 

how do we pay for it?

Who’s in charge of 

which aspects of the 

program? 

What order should 

improvements 

advance and be 

constructed?
22

Task 6: Financial 

Planning & BCA

Task 7: 

Governance 

Structure 

Task 8: 

Implementation 

Phasing

Task 5: Environmental Planning 

Task 4: Transportation Planning 

Task 3: Alternatives Analysis Task 2: P&N & 

Stakeholder 

Coordination 

Step 2: Service Development Plans Are an Iterative Process

Ridership and 

Revenue 

Forecasting 

Operations 

Analysis 

Labor & Fleet 

Planning

Station Area 

and Access 

Analysis 

Conceptual 

Engineering

Operating & 

Maintenance 

Costing

Data 

Collection

Capital Cost 

Estimation 

Service 

Options

Investment 

Packages

Route 

Options

Public 

Engagement

Agency 

Coordination

Environmental 

Concerns 

Analysis

Benefits-Cost 

Analysis 

Financial 

Planning

Step 3

Preliminary 

Engineering 

Task 9: 

Service 

Development 

Plan

Environmental 

Review

Draft Purpose 

& Need

Stakeholder 

Engagement 

Plans 

Task 1: 

Project 

Administration
23

Task 6: Financial 

Planning & BCA

Task 7: 

Governance 

Structure 

Task 8: 

Implementation 

Phasing

Task 5: 

Environmental 

Planning 

Task 4: 

Transportation 

Planning 

Task 3: 

Alternatives 

Analysis 

Task 2: 

Draft P&N & 

Stakeholder 

Coordination

Step 2: Service Development Plan Draft SOW Framework

Ridership and 

Revenue 

Forecasting 

Operations 

Analysis 

Labor & Fleet 

Planning

Station Area and 

Access Analysis 

Conceptual 

Engineering

Operating & 

Maintenance 

Costing

Data Collection

Capital Cost 

Estimation 

Service Options

Investments 

Packages

Route Options Public 

Engagement

Agency 

Coordination

Environmental 

Concerns 

Analysis

Benefits-Cost 

Analysis 

Financial 

Planning

Task 9: 

Service 

Development 

Plan

Draft Purpose & 

Need

Stakeholder 

Engagement 

Plans 

Task 1: 

Project 

Administration

Corridor 

Governance 

Report

Phased 

Implementation 

Plan

Project 

Management 

Plan

Closeout Report 

Service 

Development 

Plan 
24

Resources 

• FRA Webinars:

https://railroads.dot.gov/rail-network-development/training-guidance/webinars-0

• Corridor Identification and Development Grant Program:

https://railroads.dot.gov/corridor-ID-program

• Corridor ID Program Support: 

PaxRailDev@dot.gov
Contact Us

Federal Railroad Administration

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE

Washington, DC 20590

Connect with us USDOTFRA

Corridor ID Program Support: 

Email: PaxRailDev@dot.gov
26

QUESTIONS?