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President Trump Proposes Significant Cuts to Public Transit and Passenger Rail Funding in FY 2027 Budget Request

April 6, 2026

 

On April 3, 2026, President Donald Trump released his Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Budget request. President Trump requests $16.3 billion (-23 percent) for public transit and $2.8 billion (-82 percent) for passenger rail in FY 2027.

The President’s Budget does not request to continue any advance appropriations under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which results in substantial cuts to key public transit and passenger rail investments, including:

  • Capital Investment Grants (-$1.6 billion)
  • Low or No Emission Competitive Grants (-$1.05 billion)
  • State of Good Repair grants (-$950 million)
  • All Station Accessibility Program (-$350 million)
  • Ferry Competitive Grants (-$250 million)
  • Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grants (-$7.2 billion)
  • Railroad Crossing Elimination Grants (-$500 million)

Finally, the Budget request does not include U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) surface transportation authorization funding or policy proposals.

View the DOT FY 2027 Budget Highlights.

Public Transit

President Trump requests $16.3 billion for public transit in FY 2027, a $4.8 billion (-23 percent) decrease from the FY 2026 enacted level.

The Budget includes $14.95 billion (2.1 percent) for formula and competitive programs funded from the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund. The Budget does not include a proposal to eliminate the Mass Transit Account.

The Budget requests $1.2 billion for CIG in FY 2027, a $2.1 billion (-63 percent) decrease from the FY 2026 enacted level. Currently, communities are requesting more than $31.9 billion of CIG funds in FY 2027 and subsequent years to fund construction of 54 projects in 23 States.

FTA’s Annual Report on CIG Funding Recommendations for FY 2027 does not recommend specific funding allocations for individual projects. However, the Annual Report does include updates of CIG project ratings and project profiles.

View APTA’s CIG Project Pipeline Dashboard.

The President’s Budget proposes $403 million for a new “DC Safe and Beautiful Fund” for initiatives in accordance with Executive Order 14252, Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful. The Fund would address safety on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority system (e.g., upgrading camera and monitoring systems, increased lighting in and around stations), modernize Union Station, and finance other transportation initiatives.

The Budget does not include any funds for Mega Events, such as the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Section 163 of the President’s Budget blocks the Rostenkowski Test, preventing a possible across-the-board cut of FY 2027 public transit formula funds to each public transit agency.

View APTA’s Public Transit Funding Table.

View FTA’s FY 2027 Budget Estimates Congressional Justification.

Passenger and Freight Rail

President Trump requests $2.8 billion for passenger and freight rail in FY 2027, a $13 billion (-82 percent) decrease from the FY 2026 enacted level

The Budget eliminates all funding for Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail grants (-$7.3 billion) and significantly reduces funding for other passenger rail investments. The President requests $2.1 billion for Amtrak, including $1.5 billion for National Network grants and $650 million for Northeast Corridor grants, a $4.7 billion (-69 percent) decrease from the FY 2026 enacted level.

The Budget provides $100 million for Railroad Crossing Elimination grants, a $500 million (-83 percent) decrease from the FY 2026 enacted level. For Railroad Crossing Elimination grants, the President’s Budget proposes to make nonprofit organizations eligible to receive grants. The President proposed the same policy provision in the FY 2026 Budget.

Finally, the Budget provides $300 million for Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) grants, an $837 million (-74 percent) decrease from the FY 2026 enacted level. For CRISI grants, the Budget proposes to allow any State, county, municipal, local and regional law enforcement agency to be an eligible recipient for trespassing prevention projects. The Budget proposes waiving the maximum Federal share for such projects. In addition, the President’s Budget proposes to eliminate the preference for projects that maximize benefits (pursuant to a cost-benefit analysis) for certain CRISI-eligible projects including: regional rail and corridor service development plans; safety program or institute designed to improve rail safety; research for rail-related capital, operations, or safety improvements; workforce development and training activities; and research, development, and testing to advance and facilitate innovative rail projects. The President proposed the same policy provision in the FY 2026 Budget.

View APTA’s Passenger Rail Funding Table.

View FRA’s FY 2027 Budget Estimates Congressional Justification.

U.S. Department of Transportation

The Budget eliminates all funding for Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grants ($1.6 billion) and Mega grants ($1.0 billion).

The Budget proposes $6.5 million for the Interagency Infrastructure Permitting Improvement Center to streamline the permitting review processes.

Section 416 of the President’s Budget prohibits funding from being used to enforce a mask mandate in response to the COVID-19 virus.

View DOT’s Office of the Secretary FY 2027 Budget Estimates Congressional Justification.

View the President’s FY 2027 DOT Budget Appendix.

Transit Security Grant Program

The President’s Budget proposes $41 million for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Transportation Security Grant Program (TSGP) in FY 2027, a $47.4 million (-54 percent) decrease from the FY 2026 enacted level. The Budget proposes to require a non-Federal match of 25 percent for TSGP grants.

View FEMA’s FY 2027 Budget Estimates Congressional Justification.