USA: Maine has opened a $2 million competitive freight rail grant round for businesses and shippers, requiring at least a 50% local or private match and applications by October 1, 2026.

Freight locomotives and railcars in Waterville, Maine
A freight train in Waterville, Maine. Illustrative image; it does not depict a project funded in the 2027 IRAP round. Photo: Jody Roberts / CC BY 2.0.

The Maine Department of Transportation announced the 2027 Industrial Rail Access Program round on July 29. MaineDOT said the funding will become available in January or February 2027, while submissions close at noon on October 1, 2026.

IRAP is a public-private freight partnership administered by MaineDOT’s Office of Freight and Business Logistics. It supports investment in rail or freight rail-related infrastructure located on, within or adjacent to the general railroad system.

Five categories of rail investment

The official IRAP program page identifies five categories: accelerated maintenance, rehabilitation, new siding improvements, right-of-way acquisition and intermodal facility construction.

Projects do not have to consist solely of track work. MaineDOT may also consider investments that enhance rail transportation without new track, including systems for transferring bulk materials between rail and other transport modes.

The 2027 application provides cost fields for cross ties, switch ties, rail, continuous welded rail, bridge-deck repairs, road crossings, track construction and switches. Applicants can also propose equipment acquisitions and additional non-track items.

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Matching funds and project scoring

Recipients must provide at least half of the project cost from local or private industry funds, and MaineDOT encourages applicants to offer more than the minimum 50% match.

Projects will be scored on ten criteria, including job creation or retention, new investment, intermodal efficiency, the private share of costs, anticipated reductions in emissions, highway maintenance and congestion, logistics savings, rail-service improvements and the benefit-cost ratio.

What applicants must submit?

The 2027 IRAP application requires a detailed project description, the current physical condition of affected rail facilities, operating speed limits, cost estimates and a location map. Applicants must attach a site plan, design plan or equipment specifications and identify the rail carrier that will provide service when the applicant is not a railroad.

The required benefit-cost analysis uses a ten-year period and a 6% discount rate. Funded applicants must also commit to completing their projects by December 2027.

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