RRIF Express - PNWER RIA Webinar on Rail Financing

Since its establishment in 1998, the U.S. DOT’s Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing (RRIF) program has issued 40 loans worth approximately $7 billion to support intermodal and rail improvements across the United States. While this is significant, this is a fraction of the $35 billion authorized for the program, and for a variety of reasons, RRIF has not been used to its full potential.

Under new leadership at U.S. DOT's Build America Bureau, the RRIF program has been updated in several key ways, including through the development of RRIF Express for short line and regional railroads. RRIF Express incentives include no-cost credit risk premiums, expedited processing, up to 35-year terms, and allowing loans up to $150 million to be eligible for rail structure rehabilitation and improvements, rolling stock acquisition, planning, and design.

This webinar was an honest conversation about the changes made to the RRIF program, the projects now eligible, and a discussion of what current RRIF recipients think of the program. Watch the full webinar here! View the presentation slides here!

Just want to know more about RRIF and TIFIA? This 30-minute video and these slides clearly explain many of the changes to both the TIFIA and RRIF programs!

Agenda:

• Welcome & PNWER RIA Overview

  • Andrew Johnsen, CEO | Columbia Strategic Consulting Group

  • Bruce Agnew, Director | PNWER RIA

• RRIF & RRIF Express - Build America Bureau

  • Will Resch, Project Development Lead, RRIF | US DOT Build America Bureau

    • Process improvements and streamlining

    • Program highlights and goals

    • RRIF vs. RRIF Express Explained

• RRIF Recipient Testimonials

  • Moderated by: Andrew Johnsen, CEO | Columbia Strategic Consulting Group

  • Eric Russell, Chief Financial Officer | Port of Everett

    • Best Practices & Lessons Learned from a non-traditional RRIF recipient

  • Daryl Ness, Senior Advisor - Rail Issues | Columbia Strategic Consulting Group

  • Tara Ashmore, Director of Corporate Finance, Treasury | Amtrak

    • Best Practices & Lessons Learned from the largest RRIF recipient

• Q&A - Open Discussion with Speakers

• Closing Remarks - Bruce Agnew, Director | PNWER RIA

To learn more about the RRIF program, visit www.transportation.gov/buildamerica/financing/rrif!