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LOCALIZE IT: Federal government announces $2.4 billion in grants for rail projects across 41 states

By AP | Oct 31, 2024

FILE - The Union Pacific Railroad logo appears on a locomotive in the Jackson, Miss., terminal rail yard, April 20, 2022. Union Pacific reports earnings on July 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

The Federal Railroad Administration has announced more than $2.4 billion in railroad grants to help pay for 122 projects nationwide in 41 states and Washington D.C. A large part of the money comes from the 2021 infrastructure law that President Joe Biden pushed for. Last year, the administration handed out $1.4 billion in these rail grants.

Most of the money will go to track and bridge upgrades. But some of the grants will be used to bolster training and explore cleaner-burning alternatives to the diesel railroads have long relied on. Some small railroads will also get help upgrading to more efficient locomotives.

Roughly $1.3 billion of the money will go to 81 projects at smaller short line railroads that often have a harder time investing in major projects. Chuck Baker, president of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association trade group, said some of these grants will be transformational for the short line railroads that receive them.

Some of the grants will also help address rail safety concerns that have become prevalent since a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, in February 2023 and spilled a cocktail of hazardous chemicals that caught fire. Regulators have urged railroads to improve safety and the industry has undertaken a number of initiatives on its own. But bigger changes that lawmakers proposed after the disastrous derailment have stalled in Congress and little progress has been made in the current election year.

Nearly $1.1 billion of the money will be invested in rural areas.

Projects designed to reduce trespassing will receive $32.79 million. Workforce Development projects are worth $53.59 million. New Intercity Passenger Rail projects will receive $218,581,494. The rest of the money will go to an assortment of project improvements.

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READ AP’S STORY ON THE GRANTS

Federal government hands out $2.4 billion for 122 railroad projects nationwide

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FIND YOUR STATE: LOOK UP THE DETAILS OF PROJECTS IN YOUR AREA THAT WILL RECEIVE MONEY

Below is a snapshot of some of the 122 projects that will receive grants nationwide. Find more details about all the projects here. The grants will pay for a variety of improvements at railroads nationwide, including replacing some bridges and less efficient locomotives or upgrading tracks so they can safely handle heavier cars or faster speeds. The grants are broken into a couple different categories: trespassing related projects, workforce development projects, new intercity passenger rail and number of other selected projects.

There are projects in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Washington D.C., Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

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Some of the trespassing related projects worth $32.79 million ( see all projects here ):

CALIFORNIA

– Capitol Corridor Right-of-Way Safety Improvement Program (Up to $20,000,000) Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA)

— Development of a Passenger Railroad Trespassing Mitigation Toolbox, Addressing Built Environment and Human Factors Based on California Railroad Data (Up to $3,893,166) The Regents of the University of California, U.C. San Diego

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FLORIDA

— Railroad Trespassing Enforcement Project (Up to $100,000) City of Jacksonville

— Strategy for Reducing Railroad Trespassing in the City of Lake Worth Beach (Up to $150,000) Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office

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MARYLAND

— Maryland State Trespassing Safety Study (Up to $800,000) Maryland Department of Transportation

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NEW YORK

— Broome and Tioga Counties’ Railroad Safety Coalition Initiative (Up to $80,000) Broome County Health Department

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PENNSYLVANIA

— City of Chester (PA) High-Security Fence Project (Up to $7,769,421) Amtrak

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Some of the workforce development projects worth $53.59 million ( see all projects here ):

CALIFORNIA

– The Rail Academy of Central California (Up to $2,000,000) to San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission

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DELAWARE

— Roadway Equipment Repairmen Training Program (Up to $6,400,000), Amtrak

— Center for Hands-On Training and Learning Environment for the Next Generation Railroad Technical Workforce – HTL Center (Up to $14,483,892), led by the University of Delaware

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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

— Mechanical Craft Workforce Development Apprenticeship Training Program (Up to $14,400,000), Amtrak

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FLORIDA

— Railroad Hazardous Materials Derailment Response Capabilities Exercise (Up to $200,000), Broward County Sheriff’s Office

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MONTANA

— Developing a Home-Grown Multidisciplinary Rail Workforce through Engagement with the Corridor Systems Planning Process (Up to $6,426,925), Montana State University

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The new intercity passenger rail projects worth $218.6 million:

CALIFORNIA

— DTX Final Design for Track and Rail Systems Project (Up to $24,655,000), Transbay Joint Powers Authority, San Francisco

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ILLINOIS

— Springfield Rail Improvements Project Final Usable Segment: Phase VIb: North Grand Ave. and IIIc: Multimodal Transportation Center (Up to $157,126,494)

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MASSACHUSETTS

Springfield Area Track Reconfiguration Project – Final Design (Up to $36,800,000), Massachusetts Department of Transportation

— — —

Here is a sampling of some of the other projects ( see all projects here ):

ALASKA

— Bridge 413.7 Rehabilitation Project (Up to $43,071,887), Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC)

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ARIZONA

— The Eastern Arizona Rail Safety, Efficiency, and Resiliency Project (Up to $21,614,250), Arizona Eastern Railway Company

— Flagstaff Amtrak Station Accessibility Project (Up to $4,989,600), City of Flagstaff

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ARKANSAS

— West Memphis Capacity Expansion Project (Up to $5,229,456), Jaguar Transport Holdings, LLC

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CALIFORNIA

– Desert Rail Infrastructure Improvement Project (Up to $22,706,222), Arizona & California Railroad Company

– Go Zero Emission Rail Operation Project to Replace Locomotives with Zero-Emission (ZE) Battery-Electric (BE) and Hydrogen Fuel Cell Locomotives and Installation 4 ZE Battery Chargers (Up to $36,521,266), California Air Resources Board (CARB)

— California – Coastal Rail Infrastructure Resiliency Project (Up to $100,000,000), Orange County Transportation Authority

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COLORADO

– Modernizing Rail on the Front Range: PTC Installation, Siding, & Grade Crossing Safety and Operational Improvements (Up to $66,400,000), Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT)

– Safety Assessment, Testing, and Workforce Development for Hydrogen/Natural Gas Motive Power (Up to $11,671,781)

– Transportation Investments for Employment and Safety, Phase 2 (Up to $50,570,400), OmniTRAX Holdings Combined, Inc.

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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

— Short Line Data Infrastructure Advancement Project (Up to $20,522,084), The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association

— Shunt Enhancement Safety Project (Up to $58,800,000), National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak)

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FLORIDA

– Addressing Increasing Traffic Demands through Infrastructure Enhancements in Central Florida (Up to $7,310,850), Florida Central Railroad Co, LLC

– Railroad Crossing Safety Improvements and Monitoring System (RCSIMS) (Up to $3,156,000), Florida Department of Transportation

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GEORGIA

– CaterParrott Railroad (CPR) Short Line Upgrade Project (Up to $8,496,000). Georgia Department of Transportation

– Colonel’s Island Rail Improvements Project (Up to $26,521,740), Georgia Ports Authority

– Comprehensive Overhaul for Higher Operational Reliability in Transportation and Safety (Up to $30,600,000), Patriot Rail Company LLC ___

ILLINOIS

— Yard Area Rail Decongestion and Safety Project (Up to $40,955,000), OmniTRAX Holdings Combined, Inc.

INDIANA

– Chicago, Ft. Wayne & Eastern Railroad Supply Chain Equipment Project (Up to $21,485,750), Central Railroad Company of Indianapolis d.b.a. CFE

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IOWA

Bridge Replacements in Iowa and Illinois to Develop Green Energy and Safety (Up to $29,883,200), Iowa Interstate Railroad, LLC

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KANSAS

— Kansas – Watco ZE Locomotive Conversion (Up to $19,843,062). Watco Companies, LLC

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KENTUCKY

Kentucky – Kentucky Freight Rail Improvement Program (Up to $32,183,290), R.J. Corman Railroad Group, LLC

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LOUISIANA

— The Louisiana and North West Railroad 286K Upgrade Phase 2 (Up to $27,320,000), Louisiana and North West Railroad Company, LLC

— Bridge to the Future: The Timber Rock Railroad Network Restoration Project (Up to $40,000,000), Timber Rock Railroad, LLC

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MAINE

— Driving Maine’s Rural Economy through Freight Rail Efficiency (Up to $53,313,091), Maine Department of Transportation

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MASSACHUSETTS

— New England Tri-State Rail Safety & Upgrade Project (Up to $21,622,875), Pan Am Southern, LLC

— Tunnel Hill Reclamation and Pioneer Valley Development Project (Up to $8,868,942), Pioneer Valley Railroad, LLC

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MICHIGAN

— Leveraging Ludington (Up to $16,400,000), City of Ludington

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MICHIGAN

— Huron Subdivision Track & Service Improvement Program (Up to $27,130,810), Lake State Railway Company

— Detroit RECHARGED – Realizing Environmental Changes Happening Around Railroads Generating Equitable Development (Up to $67,440,000), Michigan Department of Transportation

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MINNESOTA

— Minnesota Commercial Railway Locomotive Emission Reduction Project (Up to $15,862,400), Minnesota Commercial Railway

— Upgrading Progressive Rail Inc.: Boosting Capacity, Safety, and Sustainability in Minnesota (Up to $37,264,356), Progressive Rail, Inc.

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MISSISSIPPI

— Central Mississippi Rail Resiliency and Capacity Expansion Project (Up to $18,247,915), Grenada Railroad, LLC

— East Bank Rail Expansion (Up to $2,942,412), Lowndes County Port Authority

— Strengthening Rail Connectivity for Rural Mississippi: Natchez Railway Infrastructure, Grade Crossing & Rail Line Improvement Project (Up to $7,734,717), Natchez Railway, Inc.

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NEBRASKA

— The Southeastern Nebraska Agricultural Supply Chain Efficiency Project (Up to $5,433,342), Manning Rail, Inc.

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NEW MEXICO

— Clovis, NM, Corridor Improvement Project (Up to $570,920), City of Clovis

— Four Corners Freight Rail Project (Up to $4,000,000), San Juan County

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NORTH CAROLINA

— ACWR Piedmont Class-III 286K, Safety Capacity & Efficiency Upgrades (Up to $18,180,012), Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway Company (ACWR)

— NCRR Carolinian and Piedmont Passenger and Freight Improvements Project (Up to $105,595,000), North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR)

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NORTH DAKOTA

— Safety Enhancements and Capacity Upgrades for Reliability and Efficiency Project (Up to $20,714,004), Red River Valley & Western Railroad Company

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OHIO

— BIP Railroad Regional Connectivity Improvements Project (Up to $6,912,000), Cathcart Rail LLC

— Safe Crossings, Akron Ohio (Up to $840,480), City of Akron

— Cincinnati Rail Congestion Mitigation Plan (Up to $1,600,000), Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC)

— Rural Freight Railroad Improvements NOW (Up to $6,400,000), Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC)

— Rural Ohio-Appalachian Rail Rehabilitation (Up to $3,166,384), Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC)

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OKLAHOMA

— Kiamichi Tri-State Freight Rail Improvement Project Phase 2 (Up to $56,619,066), Kiamichi Railroad Company LLC

— The Oklahoma Short Line Track Upgrade and Growth Project (Up to $29,495,400), Stillwater Central Railroad, LLC

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OREGON

— Mill City Branch Tie Renewal Project (Up to $3,393,608), Albany & Eastern Railroad Company

— Sweet Home Branch Rail Relay (Up to $4,138,730), Albany & Eastern Railroad Company

— City of Prineville Railway Track Improvement and Restoration Project (Up to $1,600,000), City of Prineville, Oregon

— Lake County Rail Replacement Project (Up to $13,736,000), Lake County Railroad

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PENNSYLVANIA

— Development of Enabling Technologies for Hydrogen Adoption in Rail (Up to $48,412,512), East Erie Commercial Rail

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SOUTH CAROLINA

— Piedmont Regional Rail Capacity Improvement Project (Up to $27,423,985), Chester County

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UTAH

— The State Route 39 Grade Separation Project (Up to $1,780,000), Utah Department of Transportation

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VERMONT

— New England Bi-State Short Line Upgrade Project (Up to $19,524,497), New England Central Railroad, Inc.

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WEST VIRGINIA

— Panhandle Rail Industrial Development Expansion Project (Up to $22,796,000), Winchester & Western Railroad Acquisition, LLC

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WISCONSIN

— Muskego Yard Bypass Project in Milwaukee (Up to $72,800,000), Wisconsin Department of Transportation

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WYOMING

— Bighorn Divide & Wyoming Strategic Acquisition of Efficient & Clean Tier 4 Locomotive (Up to $3,409,760), Bighorn Divide & Wyoming Railroad Inc.

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

— The Transportation Department release announcing the grants is available here

— Additional background about the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grant program can be found here.

— The Association of American Railroads trade group represents the largest freight railroads.

— The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association trade group represents small and regional railroads.

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LOCAL REPORTING TIPS

— Contact short line railroads in your area to ask them about the importance of grants like this and how much smaller railroads rely on them to help improve their operations.

— Talk to manufacturers or grain elevators about how much they rely on railroads to deliver both raw materials and finished products.

— Ask state Transportation Department officials about what rail improvements are most urgently needed in your area to address safety concerns and boost capacity.

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Localize It is an occasional feature produced by The Associated Press for its customers’ use. Questions can be directed to Katie Oyan at koyan@ap.org.