Federal Railroad Administration sends $2 million in funding to 25 projects in 13 states

The Federal Railroad Administration announced it plans to send up to $2 million in funding toward 25 different projects in 13 states. 

In a statement on Monday, the agency said the money would fund trespassing and suicide prevention grants and include educational outreach aimed at reducing railroad-related suicides.

The grants are targeted toward communities and states with high occurrence rates of trespassing and casualties.

The states include California, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, New York and Ohio. 

“No mission is more important than saving lives, and FRA is fully committed to supporting states and communities in the collective effort to prevent avoidable tragedies,” Administrator Amit Bose said in the statement. “Through these grants, we will deter railroad trespassing and suicide through coordinated responses from a broad range of local organizations specializing in law enforcement, education, and mental health.” 

Three of the 25 projects will be aimed at suicide prevention and include efforts such as mental health services and crisis training targeting the New York’s Long Island Rail Road system, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority. The other 22 projects will fund hourly wages for law enforcement to enforce trespassing violations.

According to the agency, an average of more than 236 individuals died by suicide within the U.S. rail system every year from 2016 to 2021, in addition to 27 others who were injured in suicide attempts.