NCDOT awards grants for short-line, port projects

The North Carolina Department of Transportation Rail Division today announced the award of $10.2 million as part of 50-50 matching-grant funding for rail infrastructure projects at 10 short lines and North Carolina ports.

The state’s share of the $20.5 million for all the rail projects is provided through North Carolina's Freight Rail and Rail Crossing Safety Improvement program. It will match equal investments from several railroads, NCDOT officials said in a press release.

The projects will improve 14 rail bridges and 27 miles of track. The projects and state grant funds are as follows:
• North Carolina State Ports Authority–Wilmington Port, $2,780,890 for new track construction;
• Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, $1,319,745 for bridge improvements and track upgrades along the mainline rail corridor;
• NC State Ports Authority–Morehead City, $1,011,652 for track and rail crossing upgrades;
• Raleigh and Fayetteville Railroad, $942,725 for track improvements to the Fuquay branch;
• North Carolina and Virginia Railroad, $800,916 for track upgrades and grade crossing improvements along the mainline rail corridor;
• Chesapeake and Albemarle Railroad, $675,510 for bridge improvements and track upgrades along the mainline rail corridor;
• Aberdeen Carolina and Western Railway, $664,411 for bridge and culvert upgrades along the Piedmont division;
• Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad, $594,141 for track upgrades on the mainline rail corridor;
• Wilmington Terminal Railroad, $590,846 for track upgrades to the dock lead at the port;
• Atlantic and Western Railway, $569,708 for track upgrades to the Jonesboro branch;
• Charlotte Western Railroad, $222,042 for track upgrades to the mainline rail corridor; and
• Carolina Coastal Railway, $97,696 for track upgrades along the mainline rail corridor in Clinton.