Freight-rail infrastructure improvement grants totaling $53 million in Pennsylvania and $16.3 million in North Carolina were awarded this week through state programs focused on upgrading rail infrastructure and supporting freight operations.

Freight-rail infrastructure improvement grants for rail upgrades
Photo: NCDOT

PennDOT RTAP and RFAP projects in Pennsylvania

PennDOT said it approved 30 awards under the Rail Transportation Assistance Program (RTAP) and the Rail Freight Assistance Program (RFAP).

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One of the recipients, Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway, will use $5.9 million to rehabilitate three rail bridges on its Pittsburgh and Rook subdivisions in Washington County, as described in the PennDOT announcement on pa.gov. Railway Supply also summarized the broader $53 million package and the 30-project list in its report on the PennDOT freight rail grants.

NCDOT Freight Rail & Rail Crossing Safety Improvement program

In North Carolina, the NCDOT Freight Rail & Rail Crossing Safety Improvement program issued 15 grants to 12 short lines and the Port of Morehead City. The agency said recipients will match the awards with private investments. The projects call for upgrades to more than 95 miles of track, along with work on eight rail bridges and culverts across the state, according to the NCDOT press release.

Freight-rail infrastructure improvement grants and a major ACWR project

Aberdeen Carolina and Western Railway (ACWR) is among the short lines receiving support. ACWR plans to pair $4.8 million in NCDOT funding with an $8.9 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration and private investment to complete a continuous-welded rail project covering 30 miles of track between Charlotte and Oakboro, North Carolina.

In the NCDOT release, ACWR CEO Anthony Menzies said the upgrades will improve service for the short line’s customers, including Charlotte Pipe & Foundry Co. in Oakboro.

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