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Yesterday, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) announced the Iowa Department of Transportation will receive $3 million from the Federal Railroad Administration to help one regional and three short lines cover the cost of repairing infrastructure damage caused by severe storms and floods in 2008. The funding initially was appropriated in the 2008 Disaster Appropriations bill, according to Harkin.

The Iowa DOT will provide $2.2 million to the Iowa Northern Railway Co. to help pay for the removal of flood debris; replacement of a flood-compromised bridge and ties, ballast, plates and rail anchors; surfacing of track; and various drainage and other improvements.

The DOT also will provide $566,400 to Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. to help fund the rebuilding of roadbed, replacement of ties, anchors and washed away ballast, and ballast tamping and regulating work. In addition, Iowa River Railroad will receive $162,182 for removing mud and debris from track, replacing, tamping and regulating ballast, and repairing bridges; and the Burlington Junction Railway will receive $44,771 for removing mud, silt and debris from track, replacing, tamping and regulating ballast, and repairing track.

“The historic flooding that hit our state did real damage to our rail infrastructure, slowing the transport of goods between communities and suppressing commerce,” said Harkin in a prepared statement. “This much-needed funding goes directly to our local markets, helping families and local economies maintain a crucial freight-rail transportation system.”