PennDOT freight rail grants: $53M for 30 PA projects

PennDOT freight rail grants are sending nearly $53 million to 30 Pennsylvania freight rail infrastructure projects through two state programs, the agency said Wednesday, Jan. 21, in PennDOT’s announcement.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Pennsylvania’s Department of Transportation (PennDOT) said the money will be awarded through its Rail Transportation Assistance Program (RTAP) and Rail Freight Investment Program (RFIP). Since 2023, the two programs have invested more than $150 million in the state rail system. Railway Supply has also tracked the PennDOT freight grant cycle and program context in its coverage of PennDOT freight grants.

In the press release, PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said Pennsylvania’s rail freight network supports family-sustaining jobs, connects communities to the global economy, and bolsters local economic development. He said the latest investments to expand and improve the network are intended to create opportunities for generations of Pennsylvanians.

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Where PennDOT freight rail grants will be spent?

The awards span rail bridge rehabilitation and track upgrades, including rail and tie replacement, surfacing, turnout work, and grade crossing improvements.

Railroads funded for track, bridges, crossings, and turnouts

Allegheny Valley Railroad will receive $2.1 million to replace 1.3 miles of jointed rail with 136-pound rail on the Allegheny Subdivision (Allegheny County).

Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad is slated for $4 million to improve 218 miles of its Main Line and P&W subdivisions. Work includes replacement of 40 grade crossings, 80,000 feet of rail, and 30,000 ties, plus 48 miles of track surfacing (Armstrong, Butler, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, and McKean counties).

Central New York Railroad will receive $3.4 million to rehabilitate Bridge 192.22 near Susquehanna (Susquehanna County).

Conrail is set for $1.7 million to replace 11 turnouts within Stoney Creek Yard, including replacements with steel ties (Delaware County).

Everett Railroad will get $285,000 to rehabilitate a bridge approach, masonry substructure, and bridge deck in Freedom Township (Blair County).

Lehigh Valley Rail Management will receive $2.1 million to replace approximately 7,000 ties and install 10 new turnouts at its Johnstown facility (Cambria County).

Pennsylvania & Southern Railway is slated for $912,000 to rehabilitate more than 6,000 feet on inbound and outbound tracks serving the Cumberland Valley Business Park in Chambersburg (Franklin County).

Pittsburg & Shawmut Railroad will receive $3.1 million to rehabilitate approximately 20 miles of track on the Laurel Subdivision. The scope also includes improving 6 miles of track and a grade crossing, installing two switch machines, and work at Butler Yard (Butler, Cameron, and Elk counties).

Pittsburgh & Ohio Central Railroad is set for $1.1 million to build 4,800 feet of new track at Scully Yard and rehabilitate 10,560 linear feet of track on the Arden Subdivision (Washington County).

R.J. Corman Railroad Co. Lehigh Line will receive $3 million to rehabilitate approximately 22 miles of track with ties, ballast, and surfacing (Bradford and Wyoming counties).

R.J. Corman Railroad Co. Pennsylvania Lines is slated for $1 million to rehabilitate approximately 8 miles of track on the Cresson and Wallaceton subdivisions using ties, ballast, and surfacing (Cambria and Clearfield counties).

Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad will get $3.24 million to replace 3 miles of jointed rail with welded rail on the Radebaugh Subdivision (Westmoreland County).

Strasburg Rail Road is set for $1.2 million to rehabilitate approximately 3,000 feet of track, improve a grade crossing, and install permanent bulk transloading equipment (Lancaster County).

Union Railroad will receive $700,000 to replace ties on seven tracks in its Ore Yard and four tracks at its Joe Wolf Yard (Allegheny County).

Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway is slated for $5.9 million to rehabilitate three bridges on the Pittsburgh and Rook subdivisions (Washington County).

York Railway will get $1.5 million for rail replacement, upgrading turnouts, and surfacing of two grade crossings at Lincoln Yard (York County).

Other companies and agencies receiving Pennsylvania rail freight grants

Allen Distribution will receive $722,000 to build three sidings at a 625,000-square-foot logistics center served by Norfolk Southern in Jackson Township (Lebanon County).

Berks County Redevelopment Authority is slated for $2.6 million to replace 1,600 feet of existing track and build 2,430 feet of new track and a siding to serve the Boyertown Foundry (Berks County).

Consolidated Scrap Resources will get $455,000 to rehabilitate existing track and build new track within its 28-acre Harrisburg yard (Dauphin County).

Greiner Packaging Corp will receive $1.6 million to build a 0.2-mile spur and a 1,600-linear-foot vacuum push/pull system to transfer resin from its railyard to on-site silos (Luzerne County).

H&K Group, Inc. is set for $827,000 to rehabilitate and improve the Birdsboro Quarry siding (Berks County).

MetalTech will get $840,000 to replace 2,000 feet of rail and rebuild a 250-foot concrete embedded grade crossing at its metals processing facility (Allegheny County).

Peachy Rail Works is slated for $810,000 to build two additional tracks and install unloading equipment (Lebanon County).

Philadelphia Regional Port Authority will receive $974,473 to rehabilitate 2,600 feet of storage track and replace a turnout at Tioga Marine Terminal (Philadelphia County).

Riverside Materials Inc. is set for $679,000 to rehabilitate an industrial unloading and conveying system used for unit trains of aggregates (Philadelphia County).

Redevelopment Authority of Luzerne County will get $673,000 to rehabilitate a grade crossing and undertake approximately 10 miles of spot tie replacement (Luzerne County).

SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority is slated for $2.1 million to rehabilitate five bridges on the Nittany & Bald Eagle Railroad’s Nittany Main and Bellefonte Branch (Blair and Centre counties).

Sekisui Kydex, LLC will receive $1 million to remove an existing siding and build a new extended siding to increase capacity at its Bloomsburg South Campus (Columbia County).

Snavely’s Mill is set for $3.2 million to build two new rail spurs and rehabilitate more than 3,000 feet of track at its transloading facility (Clinton County).

South Avis Realty will get $819,000 to replace ties and rehabilitate three grade crossings throughout its facility (Clinton County).

For an industry recap of the award list and project scopes, see the summary from Trains.com.

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