FRA identifies South Dakota, Alaska rail projects to receive grant funds

The Federal Railroad Administration has selected five projects in South Dakota and Alaska to receive more than $6.9 million in Special Transportation Circumstances (STC) Grants for state-specific rail capital projects.

More than $5.6 million in grant funds will be used to upgrade rail infrastructure and enhance rail safety in communities across South Dakota, and another $1.2 million in grant funds will go toward projects in Alaska, FRA and U.S. Department of Transportation officials said in press releases.

"A healthy rail system is vital to a strong U.S. economy, and grants allow FRA to contribute to sustaining and improving this important transportation network," said FRA Administrator Ronald Batory.

Specific grant amounts awarded to the South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) in South Dakota are:
• $2.24 million for the Midland Rail Improvement Project, which will replace 4 miles of Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad mainline between Fort Pierre and Rapid City, passing through Midland.
• $1.87 million for the Dakota, Missouri Valley & Western Railroad Improvement Project, which calls for several track improvements between Britton and Aberdeen, including replacing 20,450 ties, removing and replacing old anchors, adding ballast and repairing two rail bridges.
• $1.56 million for the Mitchell-Rapid City Meet and Pass Siding Project, which calls for construction of a 10,000-foot rail siding near the Gavilon grain elevator on the Dakota Southern Railway mainline east of Kimball.

The grant amounts awarded to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities are:
• $761,918 to the for the Alaska Railroad Anderson Wheel Impact Load Detector Project, which involves procuring, installing and putting into service one wheel impact load detector on the northern portion of the Alaska Railroad Corp. (ARRC) rail system near Anderson.
• $480,082 for the ARRC Wasilla Control Project, which calls for upgrading an existing intermediate control signal to a complete control point in Wasilla. The project will halve a 13-mile gap in control points.

STC grants provide directed funding appropriated for rail capital projects to certain states that lack intercity passenger-rail service or are not connected to the national rail system.