RCP&E Railroad to upgrade main line in South Dakota

The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded a $22 million federal grant for a project that calls for upgrading 163 miles of main line on the Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad (RCP&E) in South Dakota.

The Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant was awarded to the South Dakota Freight Capacity Expansion Project, which involves rail infrastructure improvements from Fort Pierre to Rapid City, South Dakota.

The project is also supported by $20 million in funds from the state of South Dakota as well as a $42 million commitment from RCP&E, railroad officials said in a press release.

Among the improvements, RCP&E will replace nearly 88 miles of rail with 136-pound continuous-welded rail, upgrade 121 bridge structures, and install 11 new main line turnouts and 80,000 new crossties. The regional is owned by Genesee & Wyoming Inc.

Upon completion, the RCP&E corridor between Fort Pierre and Rapid City will accommodate 286,000-pound rail cars at a minimum of 25 mph compared to the line’s current 263,000-pound car capacity and 10 mph speed limit. The project’s first phase, securing materials and contractors, is expected to begin as soon as grant agreements are in place.

"With this federal grant, associated support by the state of South Dakota and our own significant investment, RCP&E will offer West River a highly competitive link to three major railroads on the national freight network," said Rod Wiseman, RCP&E's general manager. "These major track upgrades will support the West River economy, improve the productivity of current customer supply chains and further enhance the attractiveness of western South Dakota for new business investments."