New York State awards $16.3 million in grants to upgrade rail infrastructure

New York State will fund $16.3 million in rail infrastructure improvement projects under the Passenger and Freight Rail Assistance Program, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced yesterday.

The grants will help cover the costs of rehabilitating three railroad bridges and more than 52 miles of track and rail facilities, according to a press release issued by Cuomo's office.

The 12 recipients include CSX Transportation, which will receive a $3.5 million award to add 5.4 miles of signaled main track and sidings in Albany County.

Also included is MTA Long Island Rail Road, which will receive $1.8 million to rehabilitate the 89th Avenue railroad bridge in Queens County.

The grants will help cover the cost of projects that will support track rehabilitation, capacity expansion, railroad bridge repairs and economic development opportunities, state officials said. An additional $12.8 million in private and local funding is being leveraged through the state initiative.

"These grants will help modernize and rebuild our state's aging rail infrastructure, which will not only support existing commercial activities, but attract new business investments as well," said Cuomo.

Other recipients and their awards are:
• Batten Batten Kill Railroad Co. Inc., $1.3 million to rehabilitate rail exiting line in Washington County;
• Depew, Lancaster & Western Railroad Co., $930,120 to construct an extension to an existing warehouse;
• Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad Corp., $750,000 to replace the Genesee River railroad bridge;
• Mohawk, Adirondack and Northern Railroad Corp., $895,200 to upgrade and rehabilitate Rome industrial track;
• Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority, $1.1 million to rehabilitate the New York and Ogdensburg Railway Raquette River bridge;
• New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway Corp., $1.4 million for construction of a rail terminal in Binghamton;
• Tioga County Industrial Development Agency, $295,200 to expand the capacity of a rail-to-truck transload facility at the Waverly Trade Center;
• Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany and Steuben South Tier Extension Railroad Authority, $1.6 million to install and repair five concrete bridge structures;
• Erie County Industrial Development Agency, $2.0 million to complete a tie replacement and ballast project that will help to upgrade mainline track connecting businesses; and
• New York & Lake Erie Railroad, Inc., $732,768 for rail line rehabilitation between South Dayton and Cherry Creek.