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11/24/2025
The Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) on Nov. 13 approved funding for eight rail infrastructure projects.
The commission awarded a $237,000 grant to Ashland Railway for a $475,000 track rehabilitation project on 4 miles of mainline track in Richland County, according to an ORDC press release. The project is the first of three phases of a larger track restoration program designed to improve safety and efficiency across the railroad's network in northcentral Ohio.
A $300,000 grant was awarded to the Cincinnati Eastern Railroad for the rehabilitation of a bridge spanning two state highways and the East Fork Little Miami River in Clermont County. The ORDC funding will cover half of the cost to replace deteriorated open deck timber ties, ORDC officials said.
The ORDC also OK'd a $800,000 grant to the Zanesville-Muskingum County Port Authority toward a $2.8 million project to expand transload capacity at the Eastpointe Business Park in Zanesville. The project entails the construction of two transload tracks, relocating and resurfacing the existing track and improving drainage. The existing transload yard is operating at full capacity, supporting six businesses. The project is being driven in part by thermoplastic manufacturer Plaskolite LCC's expansion plans at the park.
Meanwhile, plastic compounder Washington Penn Plastic will receive a $600,000 grant toward a $3 million project to rehabilitate 4,000 feet of track on an industrial spur in Wapakoneta, Auglaize County. The upgraded track will accommodate modern railroad equipment and improve safety at two grade crossings, ORDC officials said.
Also, the ORDC awarded a $100,000 grant to Tectum Inc.-Armstrong World Industries toward a $2 million project calling for the rehabilitation of two rail spurs at the company's plant in Newark, Licking County, where Tectum manufactures ceiling and wall panels. As a condition of the grant, Tectum pledged to generate 55 carloads of rail traffic per yeark, ORDC officials said.
In addition to the rail rehabilitation projects, the ORDC approved in-state funding from the Ohio Grade Crossing Elimination Program and will sponsor applications for Federal Railroad Administration funding for two grade separations in Columbiana and Butler counties. The estimated project costs for those projects are $27 million and $42 million, respectively.