Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Invests Over $2.3 Billion into Rail Infrastructure and Safety Across America

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is investing $2.3 billion into freight and passenger rail projects in 45 states and the District of Columbia. Over 2,000 miles of track across America will see improvements thanks to funding from the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant Program, which received a record number of eligible applications this cycle.

Selected projects will also receive over $1.9 billion in non-Federal funding from state, local, and private partners to complete in total.

Included in the 105 projects in 45 states is:

$33.6 million for the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad Company to improve rail infrastructure resilience including track rehabilitation and improvement between Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Monett, Missouri. The project will replace rail, install new ties, upgrade a siding to a double-ended siding configuration, add two new siding tracks, and install 14 wayside rail lubricators on high-degree curves on the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad Company.
$43.5 million for the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway to rehabilitate and modernize the Toledo Swing Bridge over the Maumee River in Toledo, Ohio. The project will rehabilitate eight of the 11 bridge spans and replace timber fender systems on the bridge, enabling 286,000-pound railcar capacity.
$37 million for the Maine Department of Transportation to rehabilitate approximately 90 miles of railroad line in Northern Maine as part of the Northern Aroostook Rail Gateway Modernization and Safety project. The project will replace rail, ties, and ballast and rehabilitate the deck of a railroad bridge
$20 million for the Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway Company in North Carolina to rehabilitate and improve rail infrastructure in Montgomery and Stanly counties. The project will install approximately 30 miles of continuous welded rail, rehabilitate bridges, and modernize crossing signals.
$30 million for the Texas City Terminal Railway Company to realign the Port of Texas’ vehicle entrance gate and rehabilitate and expand the yard. The project will address a safety conflict between trains and vehicles entering a petroleum facility and enable the Port to meet existing and projected demand for exporting multiple types of petrochemicals.
$218 million for the Wisconsin DOT to support improvements to the Hiawatha West project. The project includes the extension of existing Chicago–Milwaukee Hiawatha passenger rail service to Waukesha, Jefferson, and Dane counties in Wisconsin to rehabilitate and expand the capacity of track, bridges, and crossings, and construct new intercity passenger rail stations.

“Under President Trump, USDOT is investing in rail projects that will unleash local economies and deliver real safety upgrades. From improving shortline infrastructure and port connections so critical products can get where they need to go faster to enhancing fencing along trespassing hotspots, this package will tangibly improve lives for millions of Americans,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “These improvements are all part of our efforts to rekindle a Golden Age of Rail in America.”

“The funds announced today will provide shortline railroads across the country with the resources they need to make long overdue improvements to their day to day operations,” said FRA Administrator David Fink. “These thoughtful, targeted investments will reduce congestion and improve operations instead of wasting tax dollars on politically driven boondoggles.”

-via Press Release