Kansas DOT awards grants for rail improvement projects

The Kansas Department of Transportation's State Rail Service Improvement Fund (SRSIF) has issued $11.5 million in grants to advance 17 rail improvement projects, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced last week.

The grant funds, made available to short lines, shippers and other qualifying entities, will be used for track rehabilitation and capacity improvement projects. Funds can also be used for financing and acquisition activities and the purchase of rolling stock.

Each grantee will contribute at least 40% toward their project's cost. With the grantees’ contributions, the total investment in rail improvement projects throughout the state is $19 million, KDOT officials said in a press release.

Railroads that received funding for fiscal-year 2022 are:

Kyle Railroad, $1,440,000 to replace rail;

• Cimarron Valley Railroad, $1,048,872, for a major rehabilitation;

• South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad received three grants: $380,803 to replace nine switches in Winfield Yard, $619,564 for a major rehabilitation to accommodate 286,000-pound capacity and $182,119 to replace four switches from 90- to 115-pound rail;

• Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad received two grants: $112,595 to replace rail on 0.5 miles of curves and $955,500 to upgrade 51 bridges to 286,000-pound capacity; and

• Garden City Western Railway, $307,513, for a rehabilitation project.

Other grantees are:

• Monarch Cement, $2.1 million, for siding rehabilitation and replacement work;

• MKC Elevator, $1,625,169, for construction of a 120-car loop track;

• Bestifor Farms, $664,756, for siding rehab and expansion work;

• Dei-Fan Logistics, $642,526, for new siding construction;

• Scoular Grain Goodland, $361,644, for a siding extension;

• ADM, $90,000, for construction of a new 2-mile loop track; and

• Americold Logistics, $28,951, for a siding replacement.