(The following appeared on the Progressive Railroading website on November 6.)
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency recently released fiscal-year 2009 application guidance for 14 federal grant programs.
The department’s budget includes $388.6 million for the Transit Security Grant Program. Of that, $25 million will be allocated to the Intercity Passenger Rail Program for Amtrak to protect critical infrastructure. In addition, $15 million is earmarked for the Freight Rail Security Grant Program, which will provide resources for freight railroad security plans, vulnerability assessments and employee security awareness training, as well as GPS tracking systems for rail cars transporting toxic inhalation materials.