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The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) recently awarded grants totaling $12.3 million to help fund freight- and passenger-rail projects in Alaska and Washington.

The administration granted $9.9 million to Alaska Railroad Corp. to rehabilitate track and upgrade bridges to improve passenger-rail operations. The railroad will replace 79 miles of mainline from Gold Creek to Broad Pass, Denali Park to Healy and Wasilla to Willow; replace 6,500 ties between Fairbanks and Clear Air Force Station; and upgrade eight bridges in Broad Pass and Billion Slough.

The FRA also provided three grants totaling $2.4 million to the Washington State Department of Transportation to upgrade Tacoma Rail’s track. Owned and operated by the city of Tacoma, Wash., the railroad will replace 1940s-era track to accommodate heavier axle loads and increase train speeds between Tacoma and Frederickson, and upgrade track between Mineral and Morton.

Tacoma Rail also will use grant proceeds to help restore the Morton Train Depot and reinstate excursion train service to the Upper Nisqually Valley and Mount Rainier National Park.