FY15 Short Line Railroad Safety Institute Development, ASLRRA | Apply Online

FY15 Short Line Railroad Safety Institute Development (ASLRRA) Grant - FAQs

What is the official name of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled the "FY15 Short Line Railroad Safety Institute Development, ASLRRA" grant.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is FR-RRD-15-006.

Which federal agency offered this grant?

This was a U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) research and development grant.

Which FRA office was associated with the purpose of the grant?

The problem statement and approach described were tied to FRA's Office of Research and Development.

What was the main purpose of the grant?

The grant aimed to strengthen safety practices across the short line and regional railroad sector by helping establish a dedicated Safety Institute coordinated through the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA).

Why was a Safety Institute considered necessary for short line railroads?

The opportunity was designed to address widely varying safety management systems among short line railroads. Many smaller railroads were described as lacking the staff, funding, or technical resources to routinely carry out hazardous materials training, operational safety assessments, or other structured safety improvement activities.

How was the Safety Institute expected to improve safety outcomes?

The Institute was framed as a practical, industry-focused mechanism intended to raise baseline safety performance, support improvements in safety practices, and help strengthen internal safety management processes among participating railroads.

What approach to participation and enforcement was described?

The Institute's mission was framed around building a stronger, sustainable safety culture through voluntary and non-punitive partnerships with member railroads, intended to encourage participation and improvement without fear that engagement would automatically trigger enforcement consequences.

Who was expected to coordinate the Safety Institute?

The Safety Institute was expected to be coordinated through ASLRRA (the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association).

What types of activities and programs were expected to be supported by the funding?

The funding focused on development of the Institute itself and the programs it would deliver. Key expected functions included education and training offerings for managers and frontline employees, plus support to help participating railroads improve safety practices and internal safety management processes.

Did the opportunity specify the exact training curriculum?

No detailed curriculum was listed in the excerpt provided. However, the emphasis included hazardous materials training and operational safety assessments, indicating an intent to provide actionable training and evaluation tools.

Who were the intended beneficiaries of the Safety Institute's services?

The Institute was intended to serve short line and regional railroads, including managers and frontline employees at those railroads, by improving access to training and safety improvement support.

How significant are short line railroads within the U.S. freight rail system (as described in the notice)?

Short line railroads were described as operating more than 50,000 miles of track, roughly one third of the entire U.S. railroad network, and serving as critical feeder lines connecting local industries and communities to Class I railroads and the national rail network.

How many short line railroads were there at the time of the announcement?

The notice stated there were about 550 short line railroads in the United States at that time.

What did the opportunity say about crude oil traffic on short lines?

The notice stated that 73 short line railroads handled at least some volume of crude oil, underscoring the importance of consistent hazardous materials safety capabilities in this sector.

What was the grant's activity classification?

The activity classification was Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

What CFDA program was associated with this grant?

The grant was listed under CFDA 20.313, Railroad Research and Development.

Was this an earmark-category grant?

Yes. The opportunity was described as an earmark-category grant.

What was the maximum award amount?

The maximum award amount listed was $1,800,000.

Was there a minimum award amount stated?

No minimum award floor was stated in the information provided.

Was cost sharing or a match required?

No. The opportunity stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.

Who was eligible to apply for this grant?

Eligibility was highly restricted: only ASLRRA was eligible to apply. This made it effectively a single-recipient opportunity intended to channel federal support through the trade association positioned to coordinate and deliver services across the short line industry.

When was the opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on March 13, 2015.

What was the application deadline?

The application deadline was April 24, 2015.

When was the opportunity archived?

The archive date was May 24, 2015.

Where were applicants directed for help with electronic access issues?

For access issues with the electronic announcement, applicants were directed to the GrantSolutions Help Desk via phone or email.

Was this grant focused on enforcement actions?

The opportunity described a voluntary and non-punitive partnership model intended to promote participation and safety improvement without implying that participation would automatically trigger enforcement consequences.

What specific safety gaps was this opportunity trying to address?

The notice emphasized gaps such as inconsistent safety management systems across short lines and limited capacity at smaller railroads to perform routine hazardous materials training, operational safety assessments, and other structured safety improvement efforts.