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Yesterday, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced it will provide $32.5 million to help fund 38 freight-rail projects in 28 counties.

More than two-thirds of the funding, or $23.9 million, will come from the 2010-11 Rail Capital Budget/Transportation Assistance Program, which is funded through state capital bond dollars approved in the general fund budget. The remainder will come from the 2011-12 Rail Freight Assistance Program. Both grant programs are administered by PennDOT’s Bureau of Rail Freight.

Grant awards include:
• $3.9 million to SEDA-COG for facility and track construction projects in five locations to meet Marcellus Shale expansion demands;
• $3 million to Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad Inc. to upgrade and rebuild wood trestles, replace mud sills with pilings and improve bridge deck beams to accommodate 263,000-pound freight cars;
• $1.8 million to the Allegheny Valley Railroad for the second phase of its Glenwood Yard project, including track reconstruction, and rail and tie replacements on two bridge decks;
• $1.4 million to Allentown Economic Development Corp. to restore a branch line and reconnect a R.J. Corman Railroad Group line;
• $1.3 million to the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority to acquire remaining mainline track for existing traffic and new rail traffic associated with the Marcellus Shale;
• $1 million to the Strasburg Railroad to construct and rehabilitate track, and rehab a rail bridge;
• $700,000 to Wellsboro & Corning Railway Co. to reconstruct track and turnouts, install ties and surface track;
• $378,350 to the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad to install new ties, reconstruct rail through three grade crossings and realign a curve to facilitate higher train speed;
• $308,000 to York Railway to upgrade tracks, realign a siding and replace two crossings on its mainline; and
• $301,000 to West Shore Railroad Corp. to rehabilitate a rail bridge, including new ties and deck installation.