ORDC Supports 4 CRISI Grant Applications

The Ohio Rail Development Commission has approved supporting four grant applications to the Federal Railroad Administration.

The four projects are seeking a collective $52 million in federal Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement grant funding.

The four projects include a $4.3 million project by R.J. Corman to rebuild track near Dover and Clinton. The track rehabilitation would eliminate slow orders and restore FRA Class II track speeds.

In the Cincinnati region, Norfolk Southern, CSX, and Genesee & Wyoming, are cooperating to review and establish priorities for projects that would reduce congestion in the vicinity of /Queensgate Yard.

The Kanawha River Railroad and NS are seeking $32.5 million to rebuild a rail route between Columbus and Cornelia, West Virginia.

NS owns the track but rail operations are conducted by the KRR, a subsidiary of short line holding company Watco.

The project will eliminate slow orders and restore Class II track speeds across the line.

In western Ohio, the Napoleon Defiance & Western is seeking $13.2 million to complete rehabilitating track between Defiance and Napoleon.

The project would bring the entire line back to a state of good repair.

CRISI Grant Funding Pool is $1.4B

A notice of funding opportunity was issued last week by the U.S. Department of Transportation for Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement grants.

The agency said it plans to award $1.4 billion in CRISI funding to projects designed to improve freight- and passenger-rail infrastructure. 

In a news release, USDOT said CRISI grant funding has more than tripled due to an infusion of funding provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The news release noted that CRISI grants are a major source of funding for short line freight railroads. The deadline to apply for a CRISI grant is Dec. 1.

Under terms of the IIJA, at least $376,035,000, or 25 percent of amounts appropriated, will be made available for projects in rural areas. At least $150,000,000 will be made available for capital projects in support of new intercity passenger rail service routes including alignments of existing routes.
At least $25,000,000 will be devoted to projects seeking to prevent trespassing on railroad property and to reduce associated trespasser injuries and fatalities.

2 Ohio Rail Projects Awarded CRISI Grants

Two Ohio railroad projects have been awarded Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement grants.

The grants are being awarded by the Federal Railroad Administration, which said 46 projects in 32 states and the District of Columbia will share $368 million in CRISI grants.

In a news release, the FRA said the projects are designed to improve and expand passenger-rail service and fund conventional and high-speed rail lines, as well as increase supply-chain resilience and fluidity, support short lines, invest in new technology and safety advancements and benefit rail industry workforce development and training activities.

In Ohio, the Wheeling & Lake Erie Spencer Connection Project will receive up to $6,868,768 to be used to construct a new connecting track and extension of yard tracks in Spencer.

The project goal is to eliminate switching movements and allow trains to directly access the yard from the Brewster and Akron subdivisions.

Work will include construction of a third connecting track between the two subdivisions and construction of eastward extensions of the existing transfer and pass tracks.

This work will include new turnouts and track relocations, as well as new ballast and drainage improvements. The revised layout will eliminate a number of reversing movements for trains and expand overall capacity.

The Ohio Rail Development Commission and W&LE will provide a 30 percent match.

In Cincinnati, the River Road Highway/Rail Grade Crossing Safety Improvements will receive up to $6,067,200.

The project will make safety improvements to four crossings on CSX and Central Railroad of Indiana including new signal equipment. The City of Cincinnati will provide a 20 percent match.

Two CRISI grants went to rail projects in Michigan.

The Great Lakes Corridor Improvement will receive up to $21.3 million, to rehabilitate track and rail assets of the Great Lakes Central.

Work will involve rebuilding track just north of Ann Arbor, including installing 4.25 miles of new rail, eliminating joints on an additional 41.25 miles, replacing or rehabilitating 11 bridges and culverts, and installing approximately 30,000 ties on mainline and siding track.

The project will eliminate 16 slow orders covering 45 miles of the 260-mile mainline corridor and will result in fewer track defects, derailments, and other maintenance problems associated with rail joints.

The Michigan Department of Transportation and GLC will provide a 50 percent match.

A grant of up to $8,697,910 will be used by the West Michigan Railroad for track rebuilding.

The project involves 10 miles of track in Southwest Michigan. Specific improvements include rail and cross-tie replacements, reconstructed roadbeds, bridge and turnout repairs, upgrades and replacement of two at-grade crossings, and rebuilding approximately 5.6 miles of track.

The work will upgrade portions of the line from 5 mph excepted track to at least FRA Class 2 speeds up to 25 mph and ensure the line can continue to handle 286,000-pound rail cars.

MDOT and WMR will provide a 35 percent match.

In Indiana, the Connecting the Crossroads of America project will receive up to $8,383,761 for track improvements to the Chicago, Fort Wayne & Eastern Railroad main line and Decatur Subdivision.

The project will replace ballast and ties along a 54-mile segment of the main line and install 115-pound rail, ties, ballast, and surfacing on a 14-mile segment of the Decatur Subdivision. Additionally, 43 at-grade crossing surfaces are to be replaced with rubber seal/asphalt design for handling heavier loads, longevity of construction, and improved efficiency of travel at crossings.

When finished, the work will enable trains to operate at higher speeds. The Indiana Department of Transportation and CF&E will provide a 51 percent match.

Also in Indiana, the Elkhart & Western will receive up to $2,618,173 to be used to relocate an interchange track with Norfolk Southern, upgrade the 9-mile Elkhart Branch line to Class 1 track safety standards, expand rail siding capacity, and replace three grade crossing surfaces within Elkhart.

This interchange will be relocated out of the city center and into an industrial area. Currently, E&W and NS track intersect two roadways, and when a train is more than nine rail cars long, it blocks the roadway for approximately 15 minutes while trains interchange cars.

The proposed track relocation would eliminate the blocked crossing and improve grade crossings with deteriorating conditions.

The project will receive a 50 percent match from the E&W, INDOT, the City of Elkhart, and the St. Joseph County Redevelopment Commission.

 In West Virginia, the Appalachian & Ohio Railroad will receive up to $1,617,824 to improve its 42-mile railroad corridor from Grafton to Buckhannon.

The project will replace an antiquated traffic control system and install a new and modern broken rail detection system on the entire signaled section of the A&O rail line. The existing traffic control system has reached the end of its useful service life. The A&O will provide a 39 percent match.

Indiana Short Line Awarded CRISI Grant

An Indiana short line railroad has been awarded a $2.6 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement grant from the Federal Railroad Railroad Administration.

The Elkhart & Western will use the funding for track rehabilitation and the moving of three grade crossings.

The project is expected to reduce the number of blocked crossings and improve track safety.

CRISI Grants Awarded to Railroads in Pa., Ky.

Federal Consolidated Rail Infrastructure Safety and Improvement grants have been announced for projects in Pennsylvania and Kentucky.

R.J. Corman received two of the grants. They include $14.7 million to rebuild 8.6 miles of track in Berks County, Pennsylvania. The grant also covers rebuilding or replacing 14 bridges between Boyertown and Pottstown.

Some funds from the grant will be used for construction of two rail-served transload yards and to  improve drainage issues that lead to large quantities of water on nearby roadways.

Corman also was approved for a $7.3 million grant for various projects on its Central Kentucky lines.

One project will create a new freight rail-to-truck transload facility near Frankfort. Another project will improve the main yard and transload facility in Lexington.

Repairs will include rehabilitating grade crossings and track, a new office building, switching replacements and expanding transload storage pads, as well as paving truck and traffic areas.

The Gettysburg Northern Railway will receive $1.84 million to rebuild 24 miles of track in Adams and Cumberland counties.

The project will improve safety standards, construct a new runaround track, upgrade more than 15 crossings and repair seven failing culverts.

FRA to Take Applications for CRISI Grants

The Federal Railroad Administration will be taking application soon for the fiscal year 2021 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety grant program.

The agency plans to publish on Aug. 31 a notice of funding opportunity. This year’s grant program has $362 million to award to eligible projects.

To be eligible applicants must demonstrate that their projects reduce congestion; address highway-rail grade crossings; upgrade short line and regional railroad infrastructure; relocate rail lines; improve intercity passenger rail capital assets; target trespassing; enhance multi-modal connections; and facilitate service integration between rail and other modes, such as at ports or intermodal facilities.

FRA officials said applications will be evaluated on how they foster safety and equitable economic strength; improve core assets and ensure racial equity and economic inclusion; address climate change and resilience; and modernize the nation’s transportation infrastructure.

A quarter of the grant money is set aside for rural projects, another $75 million is for projects that support the development of new intercity passenger rail service routes, including alignments for existing routes; and $25 million is earmarked for capital projects and engineering solutions targeting rail trespassing.

ORDC Awards Grants to 4 Railroads

The Ohio Rail Development Commission announced this week four grants to an equal number of railroads that will provide the state’s share of matching funds for federal Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program grants.

The grants and projects include: 

• Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad: $462,000 to match $4,358,547 of CFER funding and a $4,530,546 CRISI grant to assist with upgrades in the Lima Yard and on 11 miles of track from Lima to north-central Indiana.

• Napoleon, Defiance and Western Railroad: $250,000 to match $3,862,452 of NDW funding and a $4,112,452 CRISI grant to assist with significant track upgrades and eliminating speed, train length and height restrictions along the line between Defiance and Woodburn, Indiana.

• R. J. Corman Western Ohio & Cleveland Lines: $489,300 to match $709,485 of RJC funding and a $2,226,315 CRISI grant to assist with the installation of more than 20,000 ties of track in and around Massillon, Wooster, Celina and Lima.

• Youngstown & Southeastern Railroad: $350,025 to match $350,025 of YSRR funding and a $700,050 CRISI grant to assist with the installation of more than 10,000 ties and perform surfacing along the line between Struthers and Signal in Mahoning and Columbiana counties. Also, five grade crossing surfaces will be repaired.

CRISI Grants to Fund Railroad Safety Projects

Federal grants will be used for grade crossing safety projects in Michigan and Indiana.

That includes a $15.6 million grant to the Michigan Department of Transportation to improve pedestrian crossings between Dearborn and Kalamazoo on Amtrak’s Michigan Line.

MDOT officials have noted that eventually passenger trains on that segment will operate at 110 miles per hour and currently Amtrak trains operate at more than 90 mph in some places.

The project will involve installation of fencing and other safety enhancements at select crossings where there is a high level of foot traffic.

Among the sites where safety measures will be implemented are Dearborn, Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, Albion College, Augusta, Galesburg, and downtown Kalamazoo.

Matching the federal grant will be $14.6 million in state funds and $1 million from Amtrak for a total project cost of $31.2 million. Approximately 62 percent of the total project budget will fund improvements in rural areas.

The corridor is owned by MDOT and used by Amtrak and Norfolk Southern.

Officials said 12 pedestrians have been struck by trains in the past four years and there have been numerous near-miss incidents.

In Nappanee, Indiana, a $1.4 million grant will be used to improve grade crossings on a CSX mainline.

The work will include installation of warning-time circuitry, roadway improvements, improvements at crossings that currently have low ground clearance, and safety and suicide outreach programs.

These improvements will meet the requirements to establish a Quiet Zone.

Another $7.9 million CRISI grant was announced this week to be used in Pennsylvania to develop an onboard GPS sensor system to provide real-time railcar movement information to shippers, car owners, and railroads.

A $900,000 grant was awarded for improvements to the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad’s Green Ridge Yard and its junction with Norfolk Southern.

Short Lines Get Grants for Ohio Projects

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.

Bill Would Boost Transportation Funding

Amtrak funding would triple under a five-year transportation plan released by some members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

The plan, known as the “INVEST in America Act,” would authorize almost $500 billion for infrastructure, including $60 billion for rail projects.

Of the $494 billion in funding authorized by the legislation, $319 billion or 65 percent would go toward highway-related projects.

The bill contains $105 billion for transit, $29 billion for Amtrak, and a new $19 billion grant program devoted entirely to passenger rail projects.

Funding for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grant program would be $7 billion for passenger and freight projects, and a new $2.5 billion grant program for grade-crossing improvements.

The bill is being pushed by Democratic members of the committee and drew immediate criticism from three Republican members.

The GOP members, who were not involved in drafting the bill, said as proposed the bill would not provide enough flexibility for states and would favor urban areas over rural regions.

Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon), chairman of the House Committee on Transportation defended the bill by describing it as transformational legislation that would move the nation into a new era of planning, building and improving U.S. infrastructure.

The proposed legislation would prohibit Amtrak from imposing mandatory arbitration in ticket policies, mandate an improved methodology and increase transparency in the process Amtrak uses to determine how much states pay for corridor services.

Amtrak would also be directed to offer reduced fares for certain groups, including veterans and current members of the military and their families, and be required to provide access to hot meals for all passengers traveling overnight and not just those in sleeper class.

The outsourcing of onboard food and beverage service would be banned and Amtrak would have to create a working group to issue a report within a year on how to improve food and beverage service.

As for other railroads, the bill would require use of two-person crews on freight trains with some exemptions for short lines.

The U.S. Department of Transportation would be directed to develop a national strategy to deal with the delays at grade crossings, saying crossings should not be blocked for more than 10 minutes at a time.

The DOT special permits allowing transport of liquefied natural gas by tank car would be rescinded and DOT would be prohibited from issuing any further permits until the agency has further studied the safety of the matter.

The Government Accountability would be directed to conduct a study on the effect of precision scheduled railroading on shippers as well as s study on the safety issues of trains longer than 7,500 feet.