FRA grant will help Great Western Railway of Colorado restore flood-damaged track

U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Mark Udall (D-Colo.) yesterday announced the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will provide a $1.65 million grant to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to help restore the Great Western Railway of Colorado L.L.C.'s (GWR) infrastructure that was damaged by severe flooding in September 2013.

The senators had sent letters to FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo expressing support for CDOT’s grant application for the project.

Freight-rail service along GWR's line was disrupted for nearly two months, including three weeks of suspended operations, due to complete track washouts and heavy damage to equipment and infrastructure. The grant will help cover the costs to repair tracks, bridges and equipment, and remove debris throughout Boulder, Larimer and Weld counties.

Owned by OmniTRAX Inc., GWR operates 80 miles of track and interchanges with BNSF Railway Co. and Union Pacific Railroad.

"The work to restore the Great Western Railway is a perfect example of Colorado’s resilience following last year’s floods," said Bennet in a press release. "While Colorado communities continue to rebuild better than before, this grant will help ease the financial burden associated with the repair work, freeing up resources for other critical recovery projects."