The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) announced the award of $1.2 million in grant funding as part of the inaugural Freight Rail Grant Program which the Department launched this year. The grant program will support efforts to preserve rail corridors, improve safety and reliability of freight rail operations and foster the growth of businesses that depend on rail service. Projects supported by this initial round of funding include rail rehabilitation, resiliency improvements and a feasibility study for extending the rail-trail network on the Eastern Shore.
Funding for the grant program was included in the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Consolidated Transportation Plan (CTP) Fiscal Year 2026 budget, with the support of Governor Wes Moore and the Maryland General Assembly. The grant program advances the Department’s goal to make smart investments that improve safety, drive economic growth and preserve Maryland’s transportation system. It complements MDOT’s Serious About Safety initiative – an enhanced, department-wide effort to promote safety and save lives.
The grant program, administered by MDOT’s Office of Rail and Intermodal Freight, supports local jurisdictions, State agencies, railroads, rail shippers and other businesses to help preserve railroad corridors, support economic development and foster sustainability and innovative technologies. This year’s awardees are:
- Massey to Millington Freight Rail Rehabilitation Project – Maryland and Delaware Railroad, Kent County. Grant Award: $500,000. This project will rebuild and upgrade 3.5 miles of State-owned railroad track to modern standards, enabling increased freight transfer to rail. The state grant provides matching funds for a larger proposed project that will leverage federal funding to reduce roadway congestion and emissions.
- Finksburg Rail Terminal Improvements – S.W. Barrick & Sons, Inc., Caroll County. Grant Award: $500,000. The project will upgrade rail unloading and storage equipment, expand terminal capacity, enhance safety and reduce diesel emissions. These improvements will support both current operation and future expansion of aggregate transport by rail.
- Denton Spur Choptank Bridge Feasibility Study – Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Caroline County. Grant Award: $160,000. This study will explore options for converting the “rail-banked” Choptank River railroad bridge in Denton for interim rail-trail use. Work will include evaluation of the existing structure and the development of potential design alternatives.
- Switch Nine Revenue Capacity Enhancement – Western Maryland Scenic Railroad Development Corporation, Allegany County. Grant Award: $28,800. Funding will complete a main-track siding near Frostburg by installing 450 feet of track and making related repairs. The improvement will increase track capacity and safety on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.
- 100-Year Storm Floodplain Study – Walkersville Southern Railroad Inc., Frederick County. Grant Award: $56,800. The project will conduct a 100-year floodplain study in and around the Walkersville railroad yard to assess what improvements are needed to support future rail infrastructure development.
-via Press Release