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Rail Climate Change Adaptation Program
Supports rail climate resilience projects in Canada
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Funding available
$ 10,000,000
Location
Canada
Who can apply
Provinces and territories; municipalities and local and regional governments; road and transit authorities; Crown corporations including VIA Rail.
See full eligibility
Overview
The Climate Change and Adaptation to Extreme Weather Infrastructure component of the Rail Safety Improvement Program supports rail safety projects in Canada for provinces, municipalities, Crown corporations, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, Indigenous groups, and private landowners. It funds rehabilitation, mitigation, and prevention work to strengthen vulnerable rail infrastructure against extreme weather and climate change.
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At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Implement environmental initiatives
- Increase operational productivity
- Conduct research and development activities
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 10,000,000 $
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Canada
Legal structures
- For-profit business
- Non-profit
- Public or Parapublic institution
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- Canadians
Non-profit candidates
Sector of operation
- Research
- Environment
Target groups
- All the groups
Revenue structures
- All structures
Scope
- All dimensions
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
Availability timeline
2026
Periods: 1
Activities funded
- Rehabilitate the impacts of climate change and extreme weather.
- Mitigate the impacts of climate change and extreme weather.
- Prevent the impacts of climate change and extreme weather to increase safety.
Documents Needed
- Letters from partner organizations confirming financial support.
Sources and recorded changes
- Source change captured
- Change recorded
- Record updated
A captured source change or record update does not confirm eligibility. Check the funder’s current rules before applying.
Rail climate adaptation funding details expanded
Newly visible content adds eligibility, project-type, and funding details for the Rail Safety Improvement Program climate adaptation component.
Newly visible content adds a full funding framework for the Climate Change and Adaptation to Extreme Weather Infrastructure component of the Rail Safety Improvement Program, including eligible recipients and project types. It also shows the federal cost-share rates of up to 50% for VIA Rail and for-profit organizations and up to 80% for all other recipients, along with project durations of one, two, or three years.
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Provinces and territories; municipalities and local and regional governments; road and transit authorities; Crown corporations including VIA Rail.
- For-profit organizations such as railway operators and railway owners; not-for-profit organizations including academia.
- Indigenous groups, communities and organizations; individuals/private landowners.
Eligible expenses
- Staff salaries and benefits.
- Purchase and lease of capital assets, technology, equipment, and supplies; professional services, including accounting, translation, audit, and consulting; planning, design, and evaluation.
- Engineering and environmental reviews and follow-up measures; expenditures related to construction and rehabilitation of assets, including fees paid to general contractors and labourers, materials, licenses, permits, and the rental of construction machinery and equipment.
- Administrative expenditures, including general administration expenditures, rent, insurance, office equipment rental, and membership fees; travel expenditures, including accommodations, vehicle rental, kilometric rates, bus, train, airplane or taxi fares, and allowances for meals and incidentals; travel and per diem expenses cannot be more than the rates and allowances determined in the Travel Directive of the National Joint Council; expenditures for Indigenous consultations, specifically project-related consultation activities pursuant to the crown's legal duty to consult.
- Other costs considered direct, reasonable, and incremental for the successful implementation of the project and approved in writing prior to being incurred; cash-equivalent expenditures associated with in-kind contributions may be reimbursed when the associated costs are eligible, approved by Transport Canada, not a donation received from a third party, and relate to goods, services, or other support that would otherwise be purchased and paid for by the recipient as essential for the project.
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Costs incurred before the application date or after the final claim date.
- Excess overhead charges; cost overruns that cause the federal contribution to exceed the amount outlined in the funding agreement; maintenance costs.
- Provincial sales tax, goods and services tax, or harmonized sales tax where the recipient is eligible for a rebate, and any other costs eligible for rebates.
- Purchase of land and/or buildings, related real estate fees and vehicles; leasing of land, buildings, equipment, and other facilities, except for equipment directly related to the completion of the project.
- Financing charges and interest payments on loans; expenditures that have been reimbursed from other sources of funding, federal statutes, or funding programs.
Selection criteria
- Prioritization order: projects that address climate change and a rail safety component, projects that address climate change, and feasibility studies that explore future climate/safety infrastructure projects if funding is still available after the first two priorities.
- Relevance of the project to the intake objectives and eligible activities.
- Direct and indirect benefits of the project, effectiveness of the proposed intervention, and location vulnerability, supported by data, metrics, or evidence.
- Clarity and reasonableness of the project, including the work plan, major components and phases, scope of work, activities, and partner roles.
- Value for the money and the applicant's relevant experience and capacity; additional criteria may include the urban/rural divide, degree of vulnerability, geographic location of the project site, or safety risk at the crossing.
How to apply
- Apply through the online application portal.
- Before starting an application, reference the Applicant’s Guide for detailed instructions on portal functionality and GCKey registration.
- Select the Climate Change and Adaptation to Extreme Weather Infrastructure application form in the portal.
- Complete the form and include all supporting documentation, then use Save and Preview before submitting.
- If the portal cannot be used for any reason, or if you have questions or concerns, contact TC.RSIP-PASF.TC@TC.GC.CA for an alternate application option.
Processing and Agreement
- Transport Canada will conduct a project risk assessment for all approved projects prior to signing a funding agreement.
- The funding agreement defines the project scope, mandatory legal documentation, clauses, terms and conditions, performance measurement, and payment structure.
- Reporting requirements may include financial claims, list of invoices, progress reports, bi-annual reports, annual reports for multi-year projects, and a final report.
- Transport Canada must receive the final report before it will pay the final expense claim.
- Recipients must notify Transport Canada when the work is complete within 30 days and submit a detailed invoice listing with all third-party invoices; only eligible costs can be claimed, and the amount of funding expected from other government sources must be disclosed.
Additional information
- This guide applies only to the Climate Change and Adaptation to Extreme Weather Infrastructure component of the Rail Safety Improvement Program.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the Rail Climate Change Adaptation Program Program
What is the Rail Climate Change Adaptation Program?
The Climate Change and Adaptation to Extreme Weather Infrastructure component of the Rail Safety Improvement Program supports rail safety projects in Canada for provinces, municipalities, Crown corporations, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, Indigenous groups, and private landowners. It funds rehabilitation, mitigation, and prevention work to strengthen vulnerable rail infrastructure against extreme weather and climate change.
How much funding can be received?
Rail Climate Change Adaptation Program Funds up to $10,000,000 of admissible expenses.
Who is eligible for the Rail Climate Change Adaptation Program program?
To be eligible for the Rail Climate Change Adaptation Program program, you must:
Eligible: provinces/territories, municipalities and local/regional governments, road/transit authorities, Crown corporations including VIA Rail, for-profit/nonprofit organizations, Indigenous groups/communities/organizations and individuals/private landowners. Projects must strengthen vulnerable rail infrastructure's resilience to extreme weather/climate change through rehabilitation, mitigation and/or prevention of impacts on rail lines/property.
What expenses are eligible under Rail Climate Change Adaptation Program?
Staff salaries and benefits.
Purchase and lease of capital assets, technology, equipment, and supplies; professional services, including accounting, translation, audit, and consulting; planning, design, and evaluation.
Engineering and environmental reviews and follow-up measures; expenditures related to construction and rehabilitation of assets, including fees paid to general contractors and labourers, materials, licenses, permits, and the rental of construction machinery and equipment.
Administrative expenditures, including general administration expenditures, rent, insurance, office equipment rental, and membership fees; travel expenditures, including accommodations, vehicle rental, kilometric rates, bus, train, airplane or taxi fares, and allowances for meals and incidentals; travel and per diem expenses cannot be more than the rates and allowances determined in the Travel Directive of the National Joint Council; expenditures for Indigenous consultations, specifically project-related consultation activities pursuant to the crown's legal duty to consult.
Other costs considered direct, reasonable, and incremental for the successful implementation of the project and approved in writing prior to being incurred; cash-equivalent expenditures associated with in-kind contributions may be reimbursed when the associated costs are eligible, approved by Transport Canada, not a donation received from a third party, and relate to goods, services, or other support that would otherwise be purchased and paid for by the recipient as essential for the project.
Who can I contact for more information about the Rail Climate Change Adaptation Program?
You can contact Transport Canada (TC) by email at TC.RSIP-PASF.TC@TC.GC.CA or by phone at 1-866-995-9737.
Where is the Rail Climate Change Adaptation Program available?
The Rail Climate Change Adaptation Program program is available across Canada.
Is the Rail Climate Change Adaptation Program a grant, loan, or tax credit?
Rail Climate Change Adaptation Program is a Grant and Funding