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The project, funded by the Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program, provides intentional, coordinated action to assist local communities and rail employers in addressing persistent skills gaps, constrained hiring pools, and missed opportunities for long-term growth. Three regional transportation workforce centers based at Montana State University (MSU), the University of Memphis (UofM), and California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) are convening regional, multi-sector working groups to guide project implementation. The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority (BSPRA) will convene a national industry advisory group to ensure efforts are aligned with overall industry trends. These groups bring together representatives from across the rail ecosystem, including freight and passenger rail, Class I, II, and III operators, intercity passenger carriers, and related industry partners, alongside education, labor, and workforce stakeholders. 

“This CRISI award is about preparing people for great rail jobs — building a skilled workforce in Montana and across the country, from rural and Tribal communities to metropolitan regions,” said Dave Strohmaier, Chair of BSPRA. “By investing in students today, we are laying the foundation for a sustainable and connected passenger & freight rail system tomorrow.”

Through this initiative, the Western Transportation Institute (WTI) at Montana State University and its partners will work to strengthen the rail workforce pipeline by developing educational programs, expanding industry partnerships, and preparing students and workers for careers in the rail transportation sector. The project team will lead multidisciplinary rail workforce capacity-building activities focused on increasing faculty, student, and youth engagement with rail-related topics and skillsets.

Susan Gallagher, Program Manager at the MSU Western Transportation Institute, emphasized the project’s aim “to establish a national model for rail education that broadens career opportunities and boosts the local economic and community benefits of rail investments.”

Project outcomes include enhanced coordination between industry, labor, economic development, and education sectors; increased professional capacity of faculty and teachers in rail topics; expanded early career exposure and student engagement with rail-focused content and problem-solving; and strengthened local talent pipelines.

“The future of our rail system depends on more than just infrastructure. It depends on people,” said Dr. Stephanie Ivey, Director of the Southeast Transportation Workforce Center at the University of Memphis. “Preparing tomorrow’s rail workforce requires rethinking how education and industry work together. We are excited to work with our industry partners and alongside our colleagues across the country to develop resources through this project that will help build a stronger national rail workforce.” 

“The goals of this grant are mission-critical for California and the nation,” said Tyler Reeb, Executive Director of the Center for International Trade & Transportation (CITT) at CSULB. “The grant builds on CITT’s leadership in supply chain and logistics and intermodal freight while addressing current and future workforce needs impacting organized labor, Tribal transportation professionals, and communities throughout the nation who rely on rail systems.”