Five short line railroads will receive federal grants to help pay for infrastructure projects in Ohio.
One of the largest awards, $4.1 million, will be used by the Napoleon, Defiance & Western Railway for rail replacement and track rehabilitation.
The federal Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grant will cover 50 percent of the project’s cost, with nearly $3.9 million matched by the railroad and 3 percent ($250,000) being provided by the Ohio Rail Development Commission.
The railroad plans to replace 10 miles of steel rail and 29,000 ties on 28 miles of rail line.
Other CRISI grants that were awarded this week by the U.S. Department of Transportation include $4.5 million to the Chicago, Fort Wayne & Eastern to replace 10.8 miles of jointed rail with welded rail, install new ballast and ties, replace seven turnouts and rehabilitate another, and rebuild yard tracks between Lima and Fort Wayne, Indiana.
R.J. Corman received $2.2 million for improvements on four routes while the Youngstown & Southeastern received $700,000 to rebuild 25 miles of track, including tie replacement, track resurfacing, switch renewal and grade-crossing improvement.
Central Railroad of Indiana received $1.2 million for an enclosed conveyor belt system to move materials at its Cincinnati Bulk Terminals and another $1.1 million for grade crossing improvements including a new traffic signal and crossing gates at CSX and Central Railroad of Indiana crossings in Cincinnati.
Tags: Central Railroad of Indiana, Chicago Fort Wayne & Eastern, Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program, federal grants, Napoleon Defiance & Western, R.J. Corman Railroad, U.S. Department of Transportation, Youngstown & Southeastern Railroad
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