FRA awards $108M to rail projects in Alaska, South Dakota and Wyoming

The Federal Railroad Administration last week awarded more than $108 million to nine projects that are designed to make freight-rail service safer, more reliable and efficient across three states.

Issued through the Special Transportation Circumstances (STC) Grant Program, the funding was awarded to projects in Alaska, South Dakota and Wyoming. Almost all projects will benefit short lines or regionals.

Selected projects include upgrading track, acquiring new rail cars, and improving or eliminating grade crossings, FRA officials said in a press release.

In Alaska, the projects are the following:
• Rail yard improvements at Alaska Railroad Corp.’s (ARRC) Seward and Fairbanks terminals will improve existing operations and accommodate future growth at these terminals, where freight volumes continue to grow; and
• AARC will procure approximately 20 new general-service flat cars to haul pipe, machinery, lumber and other products to enter service along the ARRC corridor serving Seward, Whittier, Anchorage, Fairbanks and North Pole, Alaska.

In South Dakota, the following projects received funding:
• Culverts will be upgraded along the Sisseton Milbank Railroad main line to improve drainage and increase track stability, making the rail line more resilient in the event of extreme weather;
 • More than 16 miles of track and 34 structures will be upgraded on the Pierre & Eastern Railroad, Inc. mainline to improve operations and safety and support economic development and growth along the Upper Black Hills; and
• Seventeen grade crossings and approximately 12 miles of track will be upgraded to increase safety, capacity and speeds on the D&I Railroad.

And in Wyoming, grants were awarded to the following project:
• A potentially dangerous crossing on College Drive/Wyoming State Highway 212 will be closed and a new overpass bridge will be built to prevent collisions between motorists and trains and improve mobility.

“From funding upgrades to rail infrastructure resiliency and capacity to improving safety features at highway-rail grade crossings, these grants will strengthen American businesses and supply chains while making rail operations even safer," said FRA Administrator Amit Bose.