WASHINGTON — Nine projects in Alaska, South Dakota, and Wyoming have received more than $108 million in federal funding under a program for states that do not have Amtrak passenger service or are not connected to the national rail network.
Six of the projects are in South Dakota, two are in Alaska and one is in Wyoming. They are funded under the Federal Railroad Administration’s Special Transportation Circumstances Grant Program.
“No matter where you live in this country, rail systems play a critical role in getting people and goods where they need to go, and the STC grants ensure that no state is left behind when it comes to the development of a robust freight rail transportation system,” FRA Administrator Amit Bose said in a press release. “From funding upgrades to rail infrastructure resiliency and capacity to improving safety features at highway-rail grade crossings, these grants will strengthen American businesses and supply chains while making rail operations even safer.”
Except as noted, railroads or local governmental agencies must provide a 20% non-federal match to the FRA funding.\
Projects selected are:
In Alaska, for the Alaska Railroad:
— Up to $11.6 million for terminal track rehabilitation in Seward and Fairbanks. At both locations, 70-pound rail will be replaced with heavier rail, wood ties will be replaced with steel ties, and the tracks involved will be ballasted and resurfaced; in Fairbanks, new turnouts will also be installed.
— Up to $4 million for the acquisition of approximately 20 new flat cars to be used for both intermodal and manifest freight service.
In South Dakota:
— For the Dakota Minnesota Valley & Western Railroad, up to $17.6 million for rehabilitation of the Britton Line. The work will include 9.2 miles of installing 115-pound jointed rail; installation of approximately 27,250 ties, 58,800 tons of ballast, skew tie correction, and surfacing; environmental review, design, and construction to replace four switches and install four new concrete crossings.
— For the Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad, up to $14.06 million for the Upper Black Hills Corridor Upgrade Project. This will involve upgrading approximately 16.13 miles of rail, replacement or improvement of 34 structures, new turnouts, surfacing, ballast shoulder profiling, and grade-crossing improvements, allowing the project area to handle 286,000-pound standard railcars. The RCP&E will provide a 30% non-federal match.
— For the D&I Railroad, up to $9.96 million for a main line rail relay project. The project involves replacing 12 miles of jointed rail with 115-pound welded rail, replacement of ties and ballast as needed, and improvements at 17 grade crossings.
— For the Ringneck & Western Railroad, up to $8.3 million for grade crossing stabilization and repair. The project will include approximately 31,600 ties, 17,000 tons of ballast, 44.5 miles of surfacing, and replacement of culverts or bridge work at five locations.
— For the Sisseton Milbank Railroad, up to $3.24 million for culvert rehabilitation, along with replacement of about 3,500 ties at the culvert locations.
— For the Belle Fourche Industrial and Rail Park, up to $963,440 for a track inspection project. The project includes 2,695 feet of new track construction, 110 feet of track alignment, and installation of a new turnout. The track realignment will allow direct unloading from railcars to trucks on both sides of each track. Gravel laydown areas will also be constructed to facilitate loading, unloading, and temporary storage.
In Wyoming:
— For BNSF Railway and the Wyoming Department of Transportation, up to $38.7 million for a grade separation project at College Drive/State Route 212 in Cheyenne. The bridge will be built to meet BNSF clearance requirements and to allow for future track construction, and will eliminate a grade crossing that requires traffic to stop in a 50-mph zone.
Additional details on the projects are available here.