The Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program provides grants from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund for transformative capital improvements that will modernize California’s intercity, commuter, and urban rail systems as well as bus and ferry transit systems to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, vehicle miles traveled, and congestion.
Subject Areas- Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program
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:
- Reduce emissions of greenhouse gases
- Expand and improve transit service to increase ridership
- Integrate the rail service of the state’s various rail operations, including integration with the high‐speed rail system
- 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/.