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The Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) recently approved two rail projects near downtown Columbus.
 
Commissioners approved a $250,000 grant for the rehabilitation of a 1.6-mile portion of the Neilston Line, which branches off the state-owned Panhandle Line just east of downtown Columbus, and the relocation of a mainline crossover on the Panhandle Line.  The grant leverages $250,000 from the Columbus & Ohio River Railroad to cover construction costs.
 
The project will help generate about 500 new carloads of freight and create 13 jobs at a hazardous materials transloading facility that will be served by the rail spur, ORDC officials said in a prepared statement. The new crossover also will improve service by enabling train crews to switch trains on and off the Neilston Line even when unit trains are parked on the Panhandle Line waiting for pick up, they said.
 
Commissioners also approved loan term revisions for the Columbiana County Port Authority for the rehabilitation of a former Youngstown & Southern line. The $2.1 million loan will enable a buyer to purchase both the rail line and a landfill. The buyer also plans to develop a bulk transload facility on the line, ORDC officials said.