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United States
Coverage: 20 regions live, 131 buyers, 730 tenders, checked 2026-09-06.
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Key figures
Amtrak trips, FY202534.5 million
2 sources · 1 primary
- ● Amtrak (media centre) · FY25 Year End Ridership (published 2025-11-18 · checked 2026-09-05)
- ○ Mass Transit · Amtrak closes FY25 with record ridership, revenue (published 2025-11 · checked 2026-09-05)
Transit trips, 20247.66 billion
2 sources · 1 primary
- ○ Mass Transit · APTA's 2025 fact book highlights five consecutive years of ridership growth (published 2025-09-05 · checked 2026-09-05)
- ● American Public Transportation Association · Ridership data (published 2026 · checked 2026-09-05)
Capital Investment Grants~$3.8 billion / year
2 sources · 1 primary
- ○ GovtIntel · FTA Capital Investment Grants (CIG) guide (published 2026-02-25 · checked 2026-09-05)
- ● Federal Transit Administration · Capital Investment Grants Program (published 2026 · checked 2026-09-05)
How the market works
US rail is federal money spent by local agencies. The USDOT's FTA (Capital Investment Grants) and FRA (Fed-State Partnership, Amtrak grants) fund transit agencies, state DOTs and Amtrak — the federally owned national operator; the agencies procure under Buy America. Freight is private: the Class I railroads (Union Pacific, BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern, CN, CPKC) own and buy for their own networks. High-speed rail is a state authority (CHSRA) and a private developer (Brightline West). OEMs build in US plants under Buy America (Siemens Sacramento/Lexington, Alstom Hornell, Stadler Salt Lake City, Hitachi Hagerstown, Kawasaki Yonkers/Lincoln, CAF Elmira, CRRC Springfield).
- Federal department and administrations
- National operator
- High-speed developers
- Transit agencies and state DOTs
Programmes
- FTA Capital Investment Grants
- Federal New Starts / Small Starts / Core Capacity grants: $1.6bn a year IIJA advance appropriation plus annual appropriations, ~$3.8bn available in FY2025.
- IIJA / Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
- 2021 law with $66bn for rail; Amtrak's FY22–26 authorisation target $19.2bn; Federal-State Partnership grants for intercity passenger rail.
- Northeast Corridor
- Amtrak's Boston–Washington corridor: Gateway/Portal North, Connecticut River and East River tunnel projects, new Acela fleet.
- US high-speed rail
- California High-Speed Rail (Phase 1 est. $126.3bn, service 2040) and Brightline West (Las Vegas–Southern California, $21bn, late 2029).
States
| State | Coverage |
|---|---|
| New York | 10 buyers · 25 tenders |
| California | 12 buyers · 26 tenders |
| District of Columbia | 3 buyers · 8 tenders |
| Nevada | 5 buyers · 5 tenders |
| Illinois | 10 buyers · 44 tenders |
| Texas | 9 buyers · 47 tenders |
| Florida | 9 buyers · 38 tenders |
| Massachusetts | 6 buyers · 31 tenders |
| Pennsylvania | 7 buyers · 76 tenders |
| Washington | 5 buyers · 57 tenders |
| Georgia | 4 buyers · 43 tenders |
| New Jersey | 6 buyers · 48 tenders |
| Maryland | 5 buyers · 63 tenders |
| Virginia | 8 buyers · 61 tenders |
| Colorado | 5 buyers · 23 tenders |
| Minnesota | 4 buyers · 52 tenders |
| Arizona | 4 buyers · 25 tenders |
| Oregon | 5 buyers · 22 tenders |
| North Carolina | 6 buyers · 17 tenders |
| Ohio | 6 buyers · 19 tenders |
Most active buyers
| Buyer | Type | State | Tenders | Contracts awarded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland Transit Administration | Transit authority | Maryland | 60 | 43 |
| Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority | Transit authority | Georgia | 41 | 28 |
| Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit) | Transit authority | Washington | 53 | 12 |
| Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority | Transit authority | Pennsylvania | 61 | 2 |
| Metropolitan Council | Transit authority | Minnesota | 50 | 5 |
| Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority | Transit authority | Massachusetts | 31 | 11 |
| Dallas Area Rapid Transit | Transit authority | Texas | 32 | 8 |
| New Jersey Transit Corporation | Transit authority | New Jersey | 28 | 12 |
Market-wide buyers
Bodies that act across the whole market rather than in one state.
| Buyer | Type | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) | National operator | federally chartered national passenger operator; owner of most of the Northeast Corridor |
| Federal Railroad Administration | Federal agency | US DOT modal agency; rail safety regulator and intercity passenger rail funder |
| Federal Transit Administration | Federal agency | US DOT modal agency; funds transit capital projects |
| US Department of Transportation | National rail HQ | federal department — parent of FTA and FRA; Amtrak's preferred stockholder |
Live tenders
| Tender | Buyer | Status | Value band | Next key date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashmont and Mattapan Infrastructure Upgrades | MBTA | Open | $100–500m | |
| Green Line Riverside Inner Belt VMF Type 10 | MBTA | Open | no package value published | |
| Maryland Light Rail Modernization Program, three tranches · 2 parts | MDOT MTA | Open (mixed across parts) | $100–500m each part (USD) | Closes July 2026 |
| Light Rail Modernization Program Tranche 3 Cromwell Facility | MDOT MTA | Open | estimated cost class L: over $100 million, in MTA's own construction look-ahead of August 2026; MTA publishes no contract value | Published July 2026 |
| Light Rail Modernization Program Tranche 2 33 stations | MDOT MTA | Pre-bid | estimated cost class L: over $100 million, in MTA's own construction look-ahead of August 2026; MTA publishes no contract value | |
| Red Line Hi-Rail Access Tunnel Alewife | MBTA | Open | $25–100m | |
| Light Rail Metro Facilities Ancillary maintenance construction | MDOT MTA | Open | estimated cost class H: $15 million to $30 million, for the matching line in MTA's own on-call master contract look-ahead of August 2026; MTA publishes no contract value | |
| MARC Mechanical Ancillary maintenance construction master contract | MDOT MTA | Open | estimated cost class G: $10 million to $15 million, for the matching line in MTA's own on-call master contract look-ahead of August 2026; MTA publishes no contract value | |
| Metra Richton Park station renovation design services | Metra | Open | $5–25m | Closes October 2026 |
| CATS CityLYNX Gold Line truck overhaul Siemens | CATS | Open | value not published — the City's Bonfire listing (RFP 269-2027-2117) gives no estimated contract value; carried on scope as an open solicitation per the unvalued-open-solicitation rule | Closes October 2026 |
| CTA Red Line Extension 120th Street yard shop | CTA | Open | over $20m projected (CTA Buying Plan projection, not an award) | Closes October 2026 |
| DART New Light Rail Vehicles level boarding | DART | Open | contract value not published | |
| Valley Metro light rail streetcar operations five-year | Valley Metro | Open | value not published | |
| MBTA Regional Rail Operating and Maintenance | MBTA | Open | value not published | Published December 2025 |
| MDOT Freight Rail P3 concession Maryland and Delaware | MDOT MTA | Open | value not published - MDOT publishes no figure for the concession | |
| Metro-North 252 coaches replace Shoreliner fleet | Metro-North | Open | value not published (2025-2029 capital programme) | Published May 2026 |
| Metro-North Hudson Line 11.5 miles electrification | Metro-North | Open | $100M+ (buyer's estimated-value band) | Closes October 2026 |
| NJ TRANSIT Newark Broad Street facility | NJ TRANSIT | Open | value not published | Closes November 2026 |
| NJ TRANSIT rail station parking operations | NJ TRANSIT | Open | value not published | Closes October 2026 |
| NJ TRANSIT systemwide A&E services | NJ TRANSIT | Open | value not published | Closes October 2026 |
| Red Line four stations platform replacements | GCRTA | Open | value not published on the solicitation; a construction-category open bid | Published September 2026 |
| SEPTA Chinatown Station ADA Improvement Project | SEPTA | Open | value not published | Closes October 2026 |
| SEPTA Green Line CBTC Replacement Philadelphia Trolley | SEPTA | Open | value not published | Published July 2026 |
| SEPTA Silverliner VI 234 Regional Rail EMU | SEPTA | Open | contract value not published | Published November 2025 |
| SFRTA General Engineering Consultant services | SFRTA / Tri-Rail | Open | value not published | Closes October 2026 |
| Sound Transit Link light rail vehicle simulator | Sound Transit | Open | value not published | Published August 2026 |
| Sounder commuter rail HVAC overhaul | Sound Transit | Open | value not published | Published July 2026 |
| Amtrak Penn Station Transformation Partners | Amtrak | Pre-bid | $7-8bn (estimated transformation cost) | |
| Brightline West Las Vegas-Southern California line | Brightline West | Pre-bid | over $1bn | |
| NJ TRANSIT Multilevel Overhaul 429 vehicles | NJ TRANSIT | Pre-bid | $500m–1bn | |
| Stafford County utility relocations Siding A | VPRA | Pre-bid | no contract value published | |
| Washington Union Station Expansion public-private partnership | USRC | Pre-bid | $5–25m | |
| Ballard Link Extension civil engineering design | Sound Transit | Pre-bid | no value published (pre-solicitation notice) | |
| Gateway Hudson Tunnel Package 2A A-Yard | GDC | Pre-bid | value not published | |
| Houston METRO light rail vehicle replacement RFI | Houston METRO | Pre-bid | no value published (request for information, not a contract) | |
| NJ TRANSIT Northern Rail Maintenance-of-Way | NJ TRANSIT Rail | Pre-bid | value not published |
Recently awarded
| Tender | Buyer | Status | Value band | Next key date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LA Metro East San Fernando Valley Light Rail | LA Metro | Awarded | over $1bn | Awarded September 2026 |
| Sound Transit Asset Management System Redesign | Sound Transit | Awarded | $25–100m | Awarded August 2026 |
| Metra Highliner Amerail door panels hangers | Metra | Awarded | $5–25m | Awarded July 2026 |
| Metra award to HDR Engineering, Inc | Metra | Awarded | $5–25m | Awarded August 2026 |
| Ettrick Station Improvements | VPRA | In execution | $5–25m | Awarded August 2026 |
| Port Authority PATH real-time monitoring Wi-Tronix | Port Authority | In execution | $5–25m | Awarded August 2026 |
| Sound Transit signage programme East Link Extension | Sound Transit | In execution | $5–25m | Awarded August 2026 |
| CHSRA High Desert Corridor Palmdale Victor Valley | CHSRA | In execution | value not published | Awarded July 2026 |
Who holds the most
Recorded contracts, supply positions and partnerships in this market.
| Player | Kind | HQ | Positions here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siemens Mobility | Rolling-stock OEM | Germany | 18 |
| Alstom | Rolling-stock OEM | France | 16 |
| WSP | Engineering consultant | Canada | 16 |
| Skanska | Civil contractor | Sweden | 14 |
| AECOM | Engineering consultant | United States | 12 |
| Jacobs | Engineering consultant | United States | 12 |
| Stacy Witbeck | Track & electrification contractor | United States | 12 |
| HNTB | Engineering consultant | United States | 11 |
Where to meet the market
| Event | Kind | City | Dates | Organiser |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AREMA 2026 Annual Conference & Expo | Conference | Kansas City, Missouri | 13–16 September 2026 | American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association |
| APTA TRANSform Conference & EXPO 2026 | Trade fair | Chicago, Illinois | 4–7 October 2026 | American Public Transportation Association |
| RailTrends 2026 | Conference | New York | 19–20 November 2026 | Progressive Railroading (with ABH Consulting) |
| NRC Conference 2027 | Conference | Phoenix, Arizona | 6–9 January 2027 | National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association |
| Railway Interchange 2027 | Trade fair | Indianapolis, Indiana | 25–27 May 2027 | REMSA, RSI and RSSI |
| APTA Rail Conference 2027 | Conference | St. Louis, Missouri | 6–9 June 2027 | American Public Transportation Association |
| AREMA 2027 Annual Conference & Expo | Conference | Minneapolis, Minnesota | 26–29 September 2027 | American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association |
What changed
From This Week in Rail, newest first.
- 2026-09-28 — The US Army Corps of Engineers awards Martin Brothers Construction the US$5.4m MOTCO Rail Curves Package 3.
- 2026-09-28 — BART invites bids for the Embarcadero Station platform elevator, estimated at $12.5m, listed for October 2026.
- 2026-09-28 — Houston METRO invites bids to refurbish Liebherr suspension legs on its CAF H3 light rail vehicles, bids due 7 October.
- 2026-09-21 — Amtrak releases renderings for its planned Midwest maintenance facility.
- 2026-09-21 — The Portal North Bridge project enters its final construction phase as Amtrak begins putting the final track into service.
Withheld in the free surface
- Procurement routes (2)
- Notes
Full detail withheld: 2 fields. In the United States edition · See a fully open example
- Cig categories
- Methodology
Full detail withheld: 2 fields. In the United States edition · See a fully open example
Sources
- ● Amtrak (media centre) · FY25 Year End Ridership (published 2025-11-18 · checked 2026-09-05)
- ● American Public Transportation Association · Ridership data (published 2026 · checked 2026-09-05)
- ● Federal Transit Administration · Capital Investment Grants Program (published 2026 · checked 2026-09-05)
- ○ GovtIntel · FTA Capital Investment Grants (CIG) guide (published 2026-02-25 · checked 2026-09-05)
- ○ Mass Transit · Amtrak closes FY25 with record ridership, revenue (published 2025-11 · checked 2026-09-05)
- ○ Mass Transit · APTA's 2025 fact book highlights five consecutive years of ridership growth (published 2025-09-05 · checked 2026-09-05)
- ● US General Services Administration · SAM.gov — federal contract opportunities (checked 2026-09-06)
All players · All events · All programmes
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Compiled by Watchtower to editorial standards the Managing Partner sets and enforces. Public record only — every datum carries its source.