The Murphy Administration announced the awarding of 10 FY24 Rail Freight Assistance Program grants totaling more than $29.6 million funded through the State  Transportation Trust Fund.

The grants help support economic activity by preserving and improving the existing freight transportation system and by making freight rail service more widely available for businesses throughout the state. Rail freight improvements support the state’s clean energy, congestion
mitigation, and sustainable development goals.

The 10 projects receiving funding are located in ten counties and include constructing and reconfiguring tracks to improve safety and operational performance; replacing rail and correcting alignment issues to increase capacity; funding to design a rail bridge to eliminate height restrictions; and rehabilitating or replacing rail bridges that need repair. For a list of the projects receiving grants, click here. The $29.6 million in state grants will leverage an additional $3.3 million from railroad owners and operators, bringing the total investment in these 10 projects to more than $32.9 million.

The Murphy Administration has invested more than $168.8 million in New Jersey’s freight rail services using TTF funds, leveraging an additional $53.4 million from railroad owners and operators, for a total of more than $222.2 million in Rail Freight Assistance Program
investment.

The Rail Freight Assistance Program, administered by the NJDOT Bureau of Aeronautics and Modal Grants, provides funding for capital improvements that result in the continuation of economically viable rail freight services in the state. Factors considered in the selection of projects include: existing condition, type of project, efficient and responsive freight distribution, and highway congestion mitigation. Project sponsors are required to continue freight service on the improved line for at least five years after completion of the project.

The New Jersey Rail Freight Assistance Program grants typically provide funding for up to 90 percent of the estimated cost of each project while the sponsor is responsible for providing the remaining amount. Application proposals are accepted through SAGE, the State’s on-line
System for Administering Grants Electronically.

-via Press Release