Federal Railroad Administration awards $2.4B in grants to 122 projects

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WASHINGTON — A total of 122 projects in 41 states and the District of Columbia have been named recipients in the Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program.

The selected projects, announced Tuesday, will receive more than $2.4 billion in funding.

“Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re funding rail infrastructure projects that create jobs and expand workforce development, reduce costs for consumers, and directly benefit communities across the country,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a press release. “Each project advances a future where our supply chains are stronger, passenger rail more accessible, and freight movement safer and more efficient.”

Most of the grants directly fund infrastructure work, or planning for future infrastructure projects, but some involve job training and apprenticeship, research, or partnerships with universities. FRA Administrator Amit Bose said the grants are “reversing a half-century of federal underinvestment in America’s rail network and delivering the world-class rail our citizens deserve.”

The awards require a nonfederal match, usually of 20% and generally by the organization receiving the grant.

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, a longtime proponent of the CRISI program, celebrated that 81 of the projects involve short line railroads or their partners and account for $1.29 billion, or about 52% of the dollars awarded. The ASLRRA itself was recipient of a grant worth more than $20 million to improve short line infrastructure data.

“FRA’s recognition of the benefits that can be delivered by each dollar invested in these small businesses is evident in the overwhelming success of shortline applications in this latest grant cycle,” ASLRRA President Chuck Baker said in a press release. “Congress and the FRA can be confident that short lines will put these public dollars to good use, providing new and efficient ways of serving customers, linking small town and rural America to U.S. and international markets, improving and expanding infrastructure that will drive safety improvements, and investing in next-generation technology and locomotives that will reduce the already low environmental impact of rail.”

The complete list of awards is available here. A brief summary of each state’s awards follows, with the maximum dollar figure to be awarded.

Alaska:

$43 million to the Alaska Railroad Corp. for final design and construction of Bridge 413.7, a project including rehabilitation of an existing 1,298-foot, 12-span through truss bridge across the Tanana River in Nenana, Alaska.

Arizona:

$30.2 million to Amtrak for improvements on BNSF’s Seligman Sub, including right-of-way acquisition to install a siding, control point and crossover, improving access to the Kingman, Arizona, station. BNSF will provide the 20% project match.

$21.6 million to the Arizona Eastern Railway for rehabilitating approximately 34 miles of track, replacing three timber bridges, installing two emergency crossings, brush cutting along the right of way, and retrofitting two tank cars for firefighting.

$4.99 million to the city of Flagstaff to build a second platform on the south side of the rail line and make Americans with Disabilities Act improvements to the city’s Amtrak Station.

$3.4 million to the Grand Canyon Railway for conversion of a diesel locomotive to battery-electric power, allowing the locomotive to take tourists from Williams, Arizona, to the canyon’s South Rim and back.

Arkansas:

$5.2 million to Jaguar Transport Holdings for installation of a new yard track and new sidings for the company’s West Memphis Base Railroad.

California:

$100 million to the Orange County Transportation Authority for projects to improve resiliency of the Surf Line used by Pacific Surfliners and Metrolink trains, as well as BNSF freight traffic. The OCTA will prove a 68.25% match. This project received $125 million in state funding last week. [See “California agency awards more than $850 million …,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 28, 2024.]

$36.5 million to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to replace 10 diesel locomotives with nine battery-electric locomotives and one hydrogen fuel-cell locomotive, along with four battery chargers. Pacific Harbor Line will acquire five battery locomotives and two chargers; Watco will require four battery locomotives and two chargers, and the Sacramento Valley Railroad will acquire the hydrogen locomotive.

$24.7 million to the Transbay Joint Powers Authority for final design of track and rail systems of the Downtown Rail Extension, which will allow Caltrain and California high-speed trains to serve the Salesforce Transit Center in downtown San Francisco, currently used only by buses. The Transbay Joint Powers Authority will contribute a 50% match.

$22.7 million to the Arizona & California Railroad for replacement of 36 miles of rail, which will complete a 69-mile track rehabilitation project. Deteriorating 90-pound rail will be replaced with 115-pound rail. The railroad is providing a 30% match.

$20.5 million to the Modesto & Empire Traction Co. for repowering nine locomotives, replacing their three current engines with a single Tier 4 engine.

$20 million to the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority for a right-of-way safety improvement program involving installation of security fencing in three areas: Oakland to Fremont, Richmond to Emeryville, and Fairfield to Suisun City. It is expected to reduce trespassing and associated incidents by 20%.

$18.7 million to the California Department of Transportation for second platforms at two stations on the San Joaquin corridor — Modesto and Denair — and installation of additional track to ease congestion. Three grade crossings will also be improved. Caltrans will contribute a 47% match.

$13.1 million to the Trona Railway for replacing six older locomotives with three Tier 4 locomotives. The railway and CARB will provide a 25% match.

$11.4 million to Mendocino Railway to acquire three Tier 0 diesel switchers and repower them with Tier 4 engines for the line between Fort Bragg and Willits. The railway will provide a 23% match.

$6.4 million to the Napa Valley Railroad to replace four older diesels with three new Tier 4 locomotives. The railroad and CARB are contributing the 40% match.

$3.9 million to UC San Diego to research trespassing accidents on rail lines used by the Coaster, Pacific Surfliner, San Joaquin, Altamont Corridor Express, Caltrain and Capitol Corridor commuter and passenger services. The goal of the research is to develop a tool kit of how, where and why trespassing occurs and propose preventative measures.

$2 million to the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission for The Rail Academy of Central California, a training program in conjunction with Sacramento City College. The grant will help fund the academy workforce, purchase equipment and supplies, and develop tools to reach prospective students.

Colorado:

$66.4 million to the Colorado Department of Transportation for positive train control installation and installation of a new siding on BNSF’s Front Range Subdivision in northern Colorado, as well as improvements to five grade crossings. CDOT will provide the 30% match.

$50.7 million to Colorado-based OmniTRAX for tie replacement projects on railroads in four states: Colorado, Alabama, Georgia and Washington.

$11.7 million to Colorado State University, Pueblo, for safety experiments and testing of rail vehicles powered by compressed hydrogen and compressed natural gas. The University of Hawaii and OptiFuel are partners and will contribute the 36% match.

$1.07 million to the San Luis Central Railroad for replacement of 6,000 crossties and 126 switch ties between mileposts 10.1 and 15.2; the railroad will contribute a 25% match.

Delaware

$14.5 million to the University of Delaware for a Center for Hands-On Training and Learning to utilize the High Tonnage Loop at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colorado, to educate the next generation of railroad technical professionals. Also involved in the program are Oklahoma State University, Morgan State University, Michigan Tech, AP Sensing, OptiFuel, Loram and Ensco.

$6.4 million to Amtrak for a Roadway Equipment Repairmen Training Program to attract new employees and provide continuing education for repairmen in Wilmington, Delaware, and Groton, Connecticut.

District of Columbia:

$58.8 million to Amtrak to install Onboard Shunt Enhancement devices on 443 locomotives and 192 cab cars to prevent trains from losing shunt, which can cause problems with signal and crossing-gate activation.

$20.5 million to the ASLRRA for a project to improve the national short line data survey process, improve the accuracy of short line Geographic Information System data and install digital onboard systems on locomotives. This will allow the ASLRRA to analyze information including energy usage, idling and emissions data.

$14.4 million to Amtrak for a program to develop a 36-month apprenticeship program to build a mechanical craft workforce to maintain Amtrak’s equipment. The three-level program will be offered in Wilmington, Washington, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and Beach Grove, Indiana.

Florida:

$7.3 million to the Florida Central Railroad for tie replacement and resurfacing on approximately 50 miles of track on the Florida Central and Florida Midlands railroads. The work will improve the track to FRA Class 2 standards in many locations.

$3.2 million to the Florida Department of Transportation for improvement of 43 grade crossings, including monitoring systems, approach signage and highway traffic signalization. The Florida DOT will contribute a 46% match.

$200,000 to the Broward Sheriff’s Office to fund a hazardous materials training exercise simulating a train derailment with ethanol fire on the Florida East Coast Railway inside Port Everglades.

$150,000 to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office to address trespassing in the city of Lake Worth Beach, at identified hot spots along lines owned by Florida East Coast Railway and commuter operator Tri-Rail. The city is in West Palm Beach County, identified in the National Strategy to Prevent Trespassing as one of the 25 counties with the most pedestrian trespassing casualties.

$100,000 to the city of Jacksonville for trespassing enforcement activities along CSX, Norfolk Southern, Florida East Coast and St. Johns Terminal Railroad tracks. It will deploy up to four law enforcement officers at hot-spot locations, providing referral services, issuing citations and warnings, and educating people on trespassing dangers.

Georgia:

$30.6 million to Patriot Rail for track work on eight railroads in the Southeast, with a focus on replacing rail, ties and switches.

$26.5 million to the Georgia Ports Authority for improvements to the Myd Harris Yard and construction of the new South Side Rail Yard at the Colonel’s Island Terminal in Brunswick. The South Side yard will include four new tracks totaling almost 24,000 feet, as well as an auto storage area. A grade-crossing separation project is also included. At Myd Harris Yard, tracks will be lengthened and reconfigured to bring switching inside the terminal and away from the adjacent neighborhood.

$8.5 million to the Georgia Department of Transportation for rehabilitation and upgrades to track, bridges and sidings, and construction of a new spur, on the CaterParrott Railnet in Lowndes and Berrien counties.

Illinois:

$157.1 million to the city of Springfield to complete the Springfield Rail Improvements project, including final portions of realignment of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern tracks into a single corridor and a new Amtrak station.

$40.96 million to OmniTRAX for upgrades to five rail yards on five OmniTRAX railroads in the states of Illinois, Alabama, California and Ohio.

$1.8 million to the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission for regional rail planning, developing a long-term plan for its 12 member states, which also include Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Indiana:

$21.4 million to the Chicago, Ft. Wayne & Eastern Railroad for acquisition of a 26-car continuous welded rail train and 75 ballast cars, addressing a shortage of such equipment needed to further infrastructure investments.

$6.5 million to the Louisville & Indiana Railroad for repairs to the lift span of Clagg Bridge across the Ohio River between Louisville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Indiana.

$5.4 million to the Madison Railroad to replace the 130-year-old North Muscatatuck River Bridge in Vernon, Indiana, removing the railroad’s last permanent slow order.

$4.6 million to the University of Notre Dame to design and build a rail-joining machine for low-force friction rail welding. It would develop a new process capable of welding sections on 136-pound rail, reducing installation costs of continuous welded rail.

$722,800 to St. Joseph County to extend Patriot Rail’s Elkhart & Western Railroad to connect with Canadian National’s Chicago-Toronto route.

Iowa:

$29.9 million to the Iowa Interstate Railroad for the replacement of the Colfax and DeSoto bridges near Des Moines and the Rock River and Atkinson bridges in Illinois. Clearance restrictions on the two Iowa bridges currently prevent the shipment of large wind-energy components.

$19 million to the Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Railway for tie replacement along 56 miles of its main line between Cedar Rapids and Hills, Iowa.

Kansas:

$19.8 million to Kansas-based Watco Cos. to replace eight diesel locomotives with an equal number of battery-electric units. They will be used at the Mission Mountain Railroad in Montana, Georgia-Pacific in Oregon, Draslovka in Tennessee, Greens Port Industrial Terminal in Texas and Packaging Corp. of America in Washington.

Kentucky:

$32.1 million to the R.J. Corman Railroad Group for rehabilitation of track on three lines — approximately 30 miles on the Central Kentucky Line, 20 miles on the Bardstown Line, and 14 miles at the Russellville production plant, along with replacing approximately 75 railcars and expansion of track capacity.

Louisiana:

$40 million to the Timber Rock Railroad to rehabilitate or replace 29 bridges between Derider, Louisiana, and Kirbyville, Texas.

$27.3 million to the Louisiana & North West Railroad for rail replacement and track rehabilitation along 44 miles of the McNeil Subdivision between Magnolia, Arkansas, and Gibsland, Louisiana. This will allow an upgrade from the current 263,000-pound weight limit for cars to the 286,000-pound car standard.

Maine:

$53.3 million to the Maine Department of Transportation to upgrade two Eastern Maine Railway lines in Penobscot, Aroostook, Washington and Piscataquis counties, and to rehabilitate currently dormant tracks to provide a connection to the One North Bio-Industrial Park in Millinocket. The grant will provide substantial improvements for more than 140 miles of track, including more than 86,000 new crossties and more than 108,000 tons of ballast, replacing jointed rail with welded rail, improving seven grade crossings and installing equipment defect detectors.

Maryland:

$800,000 to the Maryland Department of Transportation for a trespassing safety study to assess incidents on rights-of-way across the state and develop a tool box for reducing injuries and fatalities.

Massachusetts:

$36.8 million to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation for final design of the Springfield Area Track Reconfiguration Project, which will include improvements of Amtrak, CSX and Massachusetts DOT track to improve capacity and prepare Springfield Union Station for an anticipated increase in passenger operations.

$21.6 million to Pan Am Southern for track repairs and measures to discourage trespassing on the Pan Am Southern Freight Main Line and Waterbury Subdivision. Pan Am Southern, Naugatuck Railroad, MassDOT and the city of New Britain are contributing the 30% match.

$8.9 million to the Pioneer Valley Railroad to replace 100-pound rail with 115-pound rail, and replace ties, on its line between Holyoke and Westfield, and build a new freight unloading building. Also, the company’s Tunnel Hill Reclamation facility in New Lexington, Ohio, will be improved to handle greater volumes of construction and demolition waste.

Michigan:

$67.4 million to the Michigan Department of Transportation for a project to upgrade and expand Norfolk Southern’s Livernois Intermodal Facility in Detroit and Wayne County. The project will include 17,200 feet of new track and yard paving, as well as replacement of diesel gantry cranes with hybrid and fully electric cranes. Providing a 40% match are NS; Michigan DOT; the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy; and the city of Detroit.

$27.1 million to Lake State Railway for work between Pinconning and Alpena, replacing 52 miles of jointed rail with welded rail; replacing ties; improving 34 grade crossings; updating signals at 13 crossings; and replacing turnouts.

$16.4 million to the city of Ludington for improvements to a Marquette Rail yard in Grand Rapids and Ludington, including track, ties and switch replacement. Marquette Rail and the Michigan Department of Transportation will provide the 35% match.

$8.4 million to Amtrak for improvements to the Michigan Line double track between Niles and Glenwood Road in Wayne Township. Amtrak anticipates the work will lead to a trip-time savings of more than 11 minutes.

$428,133 to Michigan State University for a project to use FRA light detection and ranging data to analyze rural grade crossings and develop safety assessments through application of machine learning and computer vision techniques.

Minnesota:

$37.3 million to Progressive Rail for installation of welded rail, replacement of ties, improvements to turnouts, and ballasting and resurfacing on company-owned track in east central Minnesota.

$15.9 million to Minnesota Commercial Railway to replace nine older locomotives with six locomotives meeting Tier 4 emission standards.

$11.7 million to the Twin Cities and Western to replace jointed rail with welded rail on approximately 24 miles of the railroad’s main line.

Mississippi:

$18.2 million to the Grenada Railroad for projects including rehabilitating 27 grade crossings, adding signals, eliminating 600 rail joints and increasing the capacity of the Canadian National-Granada Railroad interchange in Canton.

$7.8 million to the Natchez Railway for replacing 45,000 ties, improving 93 highway grade crossings, replacing and resurfacing track, and restoring 1.2 miles of track to connect to an industrial park.

$2.9 million to the Lowndes County Port Authority to construct an additional 6,700 feet of track, which will serve as an additional spur connecting the port to the CPKC main line.

Montana:

$6.4 million to Montana State University for a project to increase faculty, student and youth engagement with rail-related topics and skill sets. Cal State Long Beach, the University of Memphis and the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority are also involved.

Nebraska:

$5.4 million to Manning Rail to rehabilitate the line between Fairmont and Burress in Fillmore County, restoring rail transloading service to a regional grain elevator facility. Manning Rail and Fillmore County are providing the 25% match.

New Jersey:

$4 million to the Morristown & Erie for tie and ballast replacement, track resurfacing and installation of a new siding on the Whippany Line between Morristown and East Hanover. The work will upgrade the line to FRA Class 2 standards. The railroad will provide a 35% match.

New Mexico:

$4 million to San Juan County for activities related to a project to develop a new rail line to connect the Farmington area to the BNSF Railway at Gallup.

$570,920 to the city of Clovis for separation of one grade crossing and improvements to another on the BNSF Railway main line. The city is providing a 53% match.

New York:

$215 million for replacement of the Livingston Avenue Rail Bridge across the Hudson River between Albany and Rensselaer. The bridge is 125 years old but rests on piers that are even older, dating to the Civil War. The project previously received more than $600 million from New York state. [See “New York begins work to replace aging Albany rail bridge,” Trains News Wire, July 12, 2024.]

$16 million to the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency, in partnership with Norfolk Southern, Alstom and Binghamton University’s New Energy New York consortium, to rebuild two locomotives into battery-powered hybrids at Alstom’s Kanona facility in Bath.

$11.7 million to the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority to upgrade more than 14 miles of rail line in New York’s St. Lawrence County, allowing the New York & Ogdensburg Railway to handle 286,000-pound railcars. The railroad is currently limited to 263,000-pound cars.

$3.96 million to the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway to install 8.35 miles of welded rail and new ties, and perform ballast and surfacing work on the Syracuse Branch in Onondaga and Cortland counties.

$80,000 to the Broome County Health Department for an education and prevention program to identify trespassing hot spots and conduct outreach and education in Broome and Tioga counties. The project will evaluate four locations through data collection, developing and conducting an education campaign, and monitoring efforts. This is part of the CRISI set-aside for trespassing-related projects.

North Carolina:

$105.6 million to the North Carolina Railroad Co. for improvements at seven locations including Raleigh, Cary, Morrisville, Hillsborough, Burlington and Greensboro to increase capacity for passenger operations and reduce freight and passenger delays. The project includes rebuilding 69 miles of track, adding more than 5 miles of sidings and eliminating a grade crossing.

$18.2 million to the Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway to upgrade its line between Charlotte and Oakboro, including installation of almost 30 miles of continuous welded rail. The 136-pound rail will accommodate industry-standard 286,000-pound cars.

North Dakota:

$20.7 million to the Red River Valley & Western Railroad to replace rail and build two new sidings on the railroad’s 3rd Subdivision between Gwinner and Oakes.

Ohio:

$12.9 million to the Ohio Rail Development Commission for track upgrades, expansion of the Newark Yard and installation of trespass prevention measures on the Columbus & Ohio River Railroad. The commission and railroad will provide a 35% match.

$12.2 million to the Ohio Rail Development Commission to replace deteriorating and broken rail and ties on the eastern half of the Napoleon, Defiance & Western Railway. The commission and railway are providing a 25% match.

$6.9 million to the Belpre Industrial Parkersburg Railroad to repair two bridges in Ohio and West Virginia.

$6.4 million to the Ohio Rail Development Commission for track improvements on the 24-mile rail line owned by the Sandusky County-Seneca County-City of Tiffin Port Authority and operated by the Northern Ohio & Western Railway.

$3.2 million to the Ohio Rail Development Commission for improvements at two locations on R.J. Corman Railroad Group’s Cleveland Line, rehabilitating 24 miles, including reestablishing service on 3 miles in eastern Ohio. The commission and R.J. Corman are providing a 35% match.

$1.6 million to the Ohio Rail Development Commission to develop a plan to address congestion in and around Queensgate Yard in Cincinnati. The commission will undertake the project in conjunction with Norfolk Southern, CSX, the Indiana & Ohio Railroad, and the Central Railroad of Indiana.

$840,480 to the city of Akron for the installation of crossing gates, as well as law enforcement cameras at 14 crossings where gates cannot be installed.

Oklahoma:

$56.6 million to the Kiamichi Railroad for improvements on the Ashdown, Hope and Paris subdivisions in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas, including replacing 76 miles of jointed rail with welded rail; ballast installation in three areas; installation of 10 rail lubricators; resurfacing of 114 crossings; and installation of trespassing signs and barriers at 10 crossings.

$29.5 million to the Stillwater Central Railroad for tie replacement and surfacing work on 120 miles of track; replacement of 10 bridges; upgrades to 40 other bridges; and upgrading of one grade crossing.

Oregon:

$29.8 million to the Port of Coos Bay for Coos Bay Rail Line upgrade planning in connection with the planned Pacific Coast Intermodal Port project. The port also received $25 million for intermodal port planning under a DOT INFRA grant announced last week. [See “Coos Bay, Ore., port receives grant …,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 19, 2024.]

$13.7 million to the Lake County Railroad for line rehabilitation between Alturas, California, and Lakeview, Oregon, raising the track to FRA Class 2 standards, allowing the use of 286,000-pound cars and providing connections for new shippers.

$4.1 million to the Albany & Eastern Railroad to replace 6.25 miles of 85-pound jointed rail with at least 112-pound rail on the Sweet Home Branch, along with upgrading four turnouts and performing associated tie and surfacing work.

$3.4 million to the Albany & Eastern Railroad for replacement of 12,000 ties and associated ballast and surfacing work on the Mill City Branch in Linn County.

$1.6 million to Prineville for work on the City of Prineville Railway including replacement of 9,700 ties and associated tamping, resurfacing and aligning.

Pennsylvania:

$48.4 million to East Erie Commercial Rail for research and development of dual-fuel combustion engines using hydrogen, and liquid hydrogen tenders. Testing at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colorado, will help operators, first responders and others learn how to safely handle hydrogen, as well as develop best practices for operating and maintaining hydrogen technology. Wabtec, Linde and Greenbrier are also involved and will provide the 20% match.

$8.96 million to the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority for track and tie replacement, as well as upgrades to one grade crossing, on the authority’s Pocono main line between Slateford and Gouldsboro.

$7.8 million to Amtrak for a security fence project along a section of the Northeast Corridor in Chester, which aims to significantly reduce accidents, injuries and deaths, and minimize operating disruptions because of unauthorized track access. This is part of the CRISI set-aside for trespassing-related projects.

$6.8 million to Penn State University to establish the Rail Center for Research Enhancing Short Line Transportation (Rail CREST) to develop affordable technologies for short line and regional railroads. The funded project proposes 10 research projects to be conducted by six universities in partnership with railroads. Kansas State University, the University of Texas, Auburn University, the University of South Carolina and the University of New Mexico are also taking part.

$3.6 million to the East Penn Railroad to improve 26 miles of track on its Wilmington & Northern Subdivision, upgrading the line to FRA Class 2 specifications.

South Carolina:

$27.4 million to Chester County for right-of-way acquisition, construction, and track and signal improvements for the Lancaster & Chester Railroad, as well as the acquisition of track maintenance equipment.

Tennessee:

$14 million to the West Tennessee Railroad to upgrade the Kenton Branch between Jackson and Kenton, installing new rail, replacing ties, resurfacing 15 grade crossings, and surfacing and tamping the line.

$10.1 million to the Coney Fork & Western Railroad for improvements on 13 miles between Manchester and Morrison, including rail and tie replacement, new ballast and switches, and resurfacing of 20 grade crossings. The work will improve track to FRA Class 2 standards and accommodate standard 286,000-pound railcars. The work will bring the entire line up to FRA Class 2 standards.

$1.6 million to the city of Watertown to build a new rail yard on the Nashville & Eastern, adding 2,000 feet of track and utilizing a turntable donated by the city. It will provide additional capacity for passing and short-term storage on the line used by Nashville’s commuter rail operation. The city and private sources will provide the 33% match.

Texas:

$16.8 million to the Dallas, Garland & Northeastern Railroad to replace and rehabilitate rail, ballast and surfacing, and install rail lubricators, between Sherman and McKinney. The railroad will provide a 30% match.

$13.4 million to Jaguar Transport Holdings to rehabilitate deteriorating infrastructure on 28.3 miles of the Texas & Eastern Railroad, including replacing or upgrading rail, ties, switches, ballast, surfacing and 17 grade crossings.

$5.3 million to the Rio Valley Switching Co. to rehabilitate the Harlingen and Hidalgo yards, add a passing siding in Alamo, and expand capacity on lines leased from Union Pacific. The Rio Valley will provide a 25% match.

$4.6 million to the Texas, Gonzales & Northern Railway to replace seven open-deck timber pile bridges, addressing load limitations and wildfire vulnerability. The railway is providing a 30% match.

$3.5 million to the Texas Rock Crusher Railway to rehabilitate 2.5 miles of track and replace one timber bridge. The railway will provide a 30% match.

Utah:

$1.8 million to the Utah Department of Transportation for a grade-crossing separation project on State Route 39 in Ogden.

Vermont:

$19.5 million to the New England Central Railroad for track upgrades, replacement of bridge components, improvement of a locomotive service facility, resurfacing of 12 grade crossings and removal of six others, and reconfiguring of a yard jointly owned by New England Central and Providence & Worcester. The two railroads and the city of Pawtucket will contribute a 25% match.

Virginia:

$9.7 million to the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen for a project to develop a method of integrating wayside hotbox detectors into the current onboard positive train control system, centralizing critical data gathering. HUM Industrial Technology, Ensco and the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley are also part of the program.

$6 million to the Buckingham Branch Railroad for tie replacement and surfacing on 83 miles of railroad, as well as work on seven grade crossings. The railroad and Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation will provide a 50% match.

$5.8 million to the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority to upgrade the Staples Mill station, including improvements meeting Amerians with Disabilities Act requirements. The authority will provide a 50% match.

$1.5 million to the town of Bedford to develop a new Amtrak station. Bedford is roughly halfway between current stops in Roanoke and Lynchburg.

Washington state:

$37.7 million to the Washington State Department of Transportation to replace all rail and ties of Palouse River & Coulee City Rail System. This follows a $72.8 million grant for the same project last year.

$26.3 million to the Port of Kalama for a rail expansion project, allowing the port’s tracks to handle two loaded and two empty grain trains simultaneously.

$23.5 million to the St. Paul & Pacific Northwest for work between Chewelah, Washington, and Columbia Gardens, British Columbia, to replace two sections of older jointed rail totaling 18 miles with 136-pound welded rail, along with installation of 85,000 new concrete and steel ties. This will upgrade the line to Federal Railroad Administration Class 3 standards.

$11.6 million to the Columbia Basin Railroad to rehabilitate approximately 10 miles of rail and approximately 8,000 ties between Moses Lake and Connell.

$8.3 million to Tacoma Rail to replace four older locomotives with four Tier 4 units, reducing NOx emissions by 90%.

$6.5 million to the Washington State Department of Transportation for corridor improvements between Everett and Vancouver, Washington, including installation of electrically powered switch heaters and elimination of rail gaps.

$1.8 million to Rainier Rail to improve the Minnesota Street Bridge in Rainier and three others. The improvements will allow the use of 286,000-pound railcars.

West Virginia:

$22.8 million to the Winchester & Western Railroad to eliminate legacy rail and ties in West Virginia and Maryland.

Wisconsin:

$72.8 million for the Muskego Yard Bypass project in Milwaukee, which will reconfigure rail lines and the yard, creating a two-track main line that will allow freight trains to bypass the downtown Milwaukee Station used by Amtrak trains. The project also includes replacement or rehabilitation of five bridges. It will help make possible additional frequencies of the Milwaukee-Chicago Hiawatha and potential other Amtrak service.

Wyoming:

$3.4 million to the Bighorn Divide & Wyoming Railroad to replace a current locomotive with one meeting Tier 4 emission standards.

More information on the CRISI program is available here.

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