Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program

Overview

The Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) was created by Senate Bill (SB) 862 (Chapter 36, Statutes of 2014) and modified by Senate Bill 9 (Chapter 710, Statutes of 2015), to provide grants from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) to fund transformative capital improvements that will modernize California’s intercity, commuter, and urban rail systems, and bus and ferry transit systems, to significantly reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, vehicle miles traveled, and congestion. Through the seven cycles of TIRCP funding, the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) has awarded more than $11.5 billion in funding to 153 projects throughout the state. The legislation of these bills is established in Sections 75220 through 75225 of the Public Resources Code (PRC). Senate Bill 840 (Chapter 121, Statutes of 2025) extended the Cap-and-Invest Program that supports the TIRCP through 2045. SB 1 (Chapter 5) continues to provide a historic funding increase for transportation with funds directed to the TIRCP from the Public Transportation Account for new programming.

SB 125 (2023) Transit Program

SB 125 (Chapter 54 of the Statutes of 2023) guides the distribution of $4 billion in General Fund through TIRCP on a population-based formula to regional transportation planning agencies, which will have the flexibility to use the money to fund transit operations or capital improvements. The budget also establishes the $1.1 billion Zero-Emission Transit Capital Program, also administered by CalSTA, to be allocated to regional transportation planning agencies on a population-based formula and another formula based on revenues to fund zero-emission transit equipment and operations. In addition, the budget established an accountability program to govern the distribution of these funds as well as a Transit Transformation Task Force to develop policy recommendations to grow transit ridership, improve the transit experience and address long-term operational needs. The final report to the legislature was delivered in 2025.

More information on these programs is available on the SB 125 webpage.

Objectives

The TIRCP was created to fund transformative capital improvements that modernize California’s intercity rail, bus (including feeder buses to intercity rail services, as well as vanpool services that are eligible to report as public transit to the Federal Transit Administration), ferry, and rail transit systems (collectively referred to as transit services or systems inclusive of all aforementioned modes unless otherwise specified) to achieve all of the following policy objectives, as established in Section 75220(a) of the PRC:

1. Reduce emissions of greenhouse gases
2. Expand and improve transit service to increase ridership
3. Integrate the rail service of the state’s various rail operations, including integration with the high‐speed rail system
4. Improve transit safety

Additionally, Section 75221(c) of the PRC establishes a programmatic goal to provide at least 25 percent of available funding to projects that provide a direct, meaningful, and assured benefit to disadvantaged communities.

For information on the Transit, Affordable Housing, and Sustainable Communities Program (and associated programs generated by SB 862) please visit https://www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov/.

 

2026 Programming Cycle

The 2026 TIRCP grant cycle will program projects starting with the 2026-27 fiscal year and ending with the 2030-31 fiscal year. The new program cycle will include previously awarded and active projects that have not been fully allocated by the end of the 2025-26 fiscal year, and projects selected with the 2026 cycle.

  

2026 TIRCP Schedule

Item	Date
Release Draft 2026 Cycle 8 Guidelines (PDF)	January 9, 2026
Guidelines Workshops (Virtual) Northern California Southern California	Tentatively Scheduled for February 11, 2026
Closing Date for Comments on Draft Guidelines	February 17, 2026
CalSTA publishes Final Guidelines Draft and Final Guidelines Comparison Document	February 20, 2026
CalSTA Publishes 2026 Cycle 8 Call for Projects	February 20, 2026
Optional and time-limited meetings with applicants to discuss project concepts and quantifications (will be scheduled by request)	March 2, 2026 – March 13, 2026
Project Applications Due	May 14, 2026
CalSTA Award Announcement	Expected No Later Than September 18, 2026

 

• 2024 TIRCP Award List (PDF)
• 2024 TIRCP Detailed Award Summary (PDF)
• 2023 TIRCP Award List – Existing Projects (PDF)
• 2023 TIRCP Award List – New Projects (PDF)
• 2023 TIRCP Detailed Project Award Summary – New Projects (PDF)
• 2023 TIRCP Award List – High-Priority Grade Crossing Improvement and Separation Projects (PDF)
• 2023 TIRCP Detailed Project Award Summary– High-Priority Grade Crossing Improvement and Separation Projects (PDF) 
• 2023 Final Guidelines (PDF)
• Active TIRCP Projects (All Cycles) as of October 2022 (PDF)
• Completed TIRCP Projects as of October 2022 (PDF)
• 2022 TIRCP Award List (PDF)
• 2022 TIRCP Detailed Project Award Summary (PDF)
• 2022 Final Guidelines (PDF)
• 2020 TIRCP Detailed Project Award Summary (PDF)
• 2018 TIRCP Detailed Project Award Summary (PDF)
• 2016 TIRCP Detailed Project Award Summary (PDF)
• 2015 TIRCP Detailed Project Award Summary (PDF)

TIRCP Program Administration

The Secretary of the Transportation Agency has delegated the authority for the administration of TIRCP to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The Caltrans Division of Rail and Mass Transportation (DRMT) is administering the program pursuant to the TIRCP Guidelines and all applicable policies and procedures for program administration. Project administration information can be found at the Caltrans Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) webpage:

https://dot.ca.gov/programs/rail/transit-and-intercity-rail-capital-program