Rail Industrial Access Program

The Rail Industrial Access (RIA) program provides funds to construct railroad tracks for new or substantially expanded industrial and commercial projects having a positive impact on economic development in Virginia. The Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) administers the RIA, which is subject to the approval of the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB). This program is open to development entities, and railroads. The limited funding shall be used for track facilities and engineering, but not for utility relocation or right‐of‐way acquisition. Recipients will be required to confirm that initial expectations regarding anticipated carload figures were met. Contact Linda Balderson Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation 804.513.1629 linda.balderson drpt.virginia.gov Eligibility RIA is intended to assist the following project types: Track construction to new commercial or industrial facilities. Track construction or improvement to substantially expanding existing commercial or industrial facilities. Projects ineligible for this program are: Right‐of‐way acquisitions Utility relocations Railroad operations and maintenance Track construction with rail smaller than 115 pounds per yard Storage Tracks Work begun Prior to CTB allocation, an executed Agreement, and a Notice to Proceed from DRPT, unless the Grantee was issued a Letter of No Prejudice Eligible recipients are: industrial enterprises Local governments acting on behalf of enterprises Local departments of economic development acting on behalf of enterprises Railroads Process Applications are submitted to the Department of Rail and Public Transportation after registering an account on DRPT's WebGrants site.  DRPT’s WebGrants  site is the portal that allows DRPT’s partners to apply for funding, submit reimbursement requests, manage grants, and report performance requirements. For more in formation about WebGrants, go to DRPT's Grant Application Resources page . Applications may be submitted at any time. The application must include: estimated project approximate cost of new facility, if applicable; estimated railcar and employment projections; resolution from local governing body supporting the proposed project; location sketch and outline of the proposed project; drawing of proposed track project showing clear points; certification of continuous maintenance and liability; guarantees of right‐of‐way; letter from mainline operator for serving the industry or business, approving the plans of the proposed access track, and common carrier status; and detailed background information/summary on the applicant business/entity. The DRPT Program Manager reviews the application for eligibility and supporting documentation. The DRPT Program Manager requests additional information from the applicant within 10 days, if needed. The DRPT Program Manager conducts a second-level application review using the Project Selection Criteria Point System, which incorporates these criteria: number of carloads, added employment, track funds vs. capital investment in other Virginia economic development initiatives, contribution to track construction, shortline viability (if located on a shortline railroad), and number of rail cars versus trucks that will be used to serve the facility. The DRPT Program Manager calculates the minimum carload requirement by referring to the minimum number of carloads on the scoring sheet, which would still allow the application to score the 50 points needed for the project to proceed to the CTB for approval.

Eligibility RIA is intended to assist the following project types: