FRA awards CRISI grant for Pennsylvania freight-rail expansion project

McKean County, Pennsylvania, has received $11.9 million in federal funding for a project designed to improve freight-rail capacity and safety, U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) announced late last week.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued the grant through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program (CRISI).

The funds will be used for the McKean, Venango and Crawford counties' Freight Rail Capacity and Safety Enhancement Project to improve rail service in rural communities, according to a press release issued by Thompson's office.

Last year, Thompson wrote to FRA Administrator Ronald Batory to advocate for the grant to be awarded for the project.

"This investment will better connect freight service, greatly improve safety, and bolster our capacity for increased commerce in northwestern Pennsylvania," said Thompson.

The project will have a positive impact on the local environment and roadways by making it possible to shift freight traffic to rail from trucks, said Sherri Geary, McKean County's economic development director.