PUCO Approves Grade Crossing Projects

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has approved grade crossing projects involving two regional railroads.

The Indiana & Ohio will install flashing lights and gates and reconstruct surfaces at the U.S. 68/Broadway Street crossing in Midland and the T.R. 1497/Wilson’s Lane crossing in Berne Township.

The Midland project is fully funded by federal grants totaling $497,009, while the Berne Township project is partly funded by a federal grant of $408,836.

I&O will pay the remaining $65,689 of the project. Both projects are to be completed by Oct. 11, 2023.

Ohio South Central Railroad will install flashing lights at two crossings on Ohio Route 93 in Jackson County by Jan. 11, 2024.

PUCO is providing a grant of $7,500 for the project from the state’s Grade Crossing Protection Fund. The railroad will pay any remaining costs.

ORDC Gives Grants to 4 Rail Projects

The Ohio Rail Development Commission has awarded $642,890 in grants to four rail-related projects.

Ohio South Central Railroad will receive $367,890 to rebuild the AluChem lead on the line in Jackson to improve rail efficiency and safety.

The project involves replacing 2,540 ties, switch refurbishment, tie deck replacement on four bridges and rail replacement. OSCR plans to invest over $244,000 in the more than $600,000 project.

Versa-Pak will receive $125,000 for for the expansion of on-site rail infrastructure at its facility in Celina to improve rail capacity and rail yard fluidity.

M&M Industries, a plastic pail manufacturer, will receive $100,000 to add a rail spur at its Lordstown facility.

Freepoint Commodities will receive $50,000 to installing a rail spur at a facility in Obetz.

The building will be the new site of a plastics-to-fuel operation, where Freepoint will recycle plastics into synthetic oil.

PUCO Approves 3 Grade Crossing Projects

Grade crossing projects involving Norfolk Southern, Ohio South Central, and the Grand River Railway have been approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

NS will install LED lights and improved circuitry at the Waller Street crossing in Portsmouth by June 5, 2020.

The Grand River will install lights and gates at the Headlands Road and Stage Avenue crossings in Lake County by March 5, 2020.

The Ohio South Central Railroad will install LED lights at two crossings on Beaver Pike and County Road 76 in Jackson County. The work will be completed by June 5, 2020.

PUCO will provide some funding for the OSCR project from its grand crossing safety fund.

Ohio Project Gets Share of FRA Grant Money

The Ohio Rail Development Commission has been awarded  $600,000 by the Federal Railroad Administration that will be used to upgrade 9.7 miles of track to Class II standards on the Ohio South Central Railroad from Hamden to Red Diamond.

The award was one of several the FRA handed out recently for projects in 14 states and the District of Columbia that will benefit from $25 million in federal grant money.

The grants will be used to improve safety at railroad grade crossings, passenger rail stations, and rebuild tracks. Other major grants included:

• $2.6 million to add two platform access points at the East Chicago, Indiana, station on the South Shore commuter railroad.
  • $129,537 to make improvements at 321 grade crossings in 10 Indiana and Illinois counties along the Indiana Rail Road.
• $640,000 to the Indiana Department of Transportation to upgrade four major at-risk grade crossings with improvements that include flashing signals, over-lane cantilevers, automatic gates, constant warning time circuitry, and warning bells.