The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) Rail Division have awarded $7.5 million and $12.9 million, respectively, to rail projects at short lines and ports in their states.
In Kentucky, eight rail projects for five railroad companies were selected for funds to replace crossties; update communications equipment and capabilities; remove brush and optimize drainage; replace, upgrade or extend old rail lines; and construct new track.
The funding is from the new Kentucky Short Line Infrastructure Preservation (KSLIP) Program, which was established by the General Assembly and approved by Gov. Andy Beshear in this year’s biennial budget. Projects are reviewed and recommended for funding by the KSLIP selection committee, which prioritizes applications based on criteria like enhancements to existing rail lines, retaining existing or attracting new rail-served industries, and project readiness, according to the commonwealth. Applicants provide a 50% match for the project.
The recipients are:
- R.J. Corman Railroad Group: Was awarded two separate grants. It will receive $1 million for the Bluegrass Multimodal Freight Improvement project for the Central Kentucky Line, which goes through Franklin, Fayette, Woodford, and Scott counties. According to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, the funding matches an awarded Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) grant from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). The project has three elements: construct a new three-track rail-to-truck transload yard in Frankfort; rehabilitate the main line track between Frankfort and Lexington; and make improvements to the main yard and transload facility in Lexington. R.J. Corman will also receive $484,950 for a track rehabilitation project in Logan County on the Memphis Line, Railway Age’s 2021 Short Line of the Year. It will go toward replacing 1,400 crossties and 500 tons of ballast, a 100 track-feet crossing renewal, a 200 track-feet extension, a rail upgrade of 1,800 linear feet, and 10,000 linear feet of surfacing.
- Tennken Railroad Company (TKEN): Was awarded $500,100 for a rail improvement project. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said the funding matches an FRA-awarded CRISI grant. The proposed project would expand on the work done in Kentucky by adding the replacement of 1.5 miles of worn and undersized rail to the original CRISI project scope.
- Paducah & Louisville Railway (PAL): Was awarded two separate grants. It will receive $1,352,700 for the Elizabethtown Crosstie Rehab Project that will replace crossties on approximately 20 miles of track, including the Elizabethtown Branch, Cecilia siding, tank siding, and surrounding main line track with approximately 1,500 crossties per mile. All damaged, worn, or ineffective crossties will be removed from the track structure and replaced with 20,000 new crossties. The track surface will then be renewed with a tamper and ballast regulator. Also, PAL will receive $2 million for the Renewal of Princeton Yard Tracks Project, which will replace the switching ladders on the North and South ends of the Princeton yard with modern self-guarded turnouts; reconnect Tracks 9, 10, and 11 to the ladders; and reestablish track access through the existing maintenance-of-way shop building. The project is slated to eliminate and replace several older turnouts, retired fasteners, outdated rail, and ties in poor condition. Additionally, it will remove and replace fouled ballast and implement other measures to improve inadequate drainage throughout the yard.
- Transkentucky Transportation Railroad (TTIS): Was awarded two separate grants. It will receive $875,548 for the Infrastructure Rehabilitation & Operational Improvement Project, which will address a variety of maintenance needs including spot tie replacement in the Paris Yard and the most frequently traversed section of track, MP 115136.4, and surfacing and tamping within the same area, MP 115-136.4 and MP 158160, where washouts were recently repaired; rock distribution as needed from MP 115-136.4; brush cutting for the entire rail line, MP 115-164.2; ditching a ravine where drainage issues occur, MP 133-136.4; bridge tie deck replacement at MP 115.8, which is frequently traversed and located close to the Paris yard; and a new siding construction to improve operational efficiency in an area currently lacking options, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Also, TTIS will receive $736,386 for a track expansion project that will construct approximately four new tracks (estimated at 7,400 track feet) that will supplement current construction of a new siding and track. This expansion will accommodate newly acquired business and potential future business opportunities at the Bourbon/Nicholas County Industrial Park, which is located adjacent to the track, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said.
- Louisville & Indiana Railroad (LIRC): Will receive $550,316 for a network security and communications project that covers upgrading existing 900 mHz network data radios for the Fourteenth Street Bridge (Clagg Lift Span) over the Ohio River. The current system will be upgraded to fiber in conduit to improve signal system infrastructure security and update existing vessel traffic voice communications equipment to improve operational communications capabilities.
“Team Kentucky is investing in a multimodal transportation network that is vital for commerce,” Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Secretary Jim Gray said during the Nov. 14 announcement. “Buses, bikes, boats, planes, cars and trains. If it moves our people or our products and services, rest assured we are securing funds and delivering the projects to benefit all Kentuckians.”
“We are deeply grateful to Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for awarding these two grants through the Kentucky Short Line Infrastructure Preservation (KSLIP) Program,” said R.J. Corman Railroad Group President and CEO Ed Quinn. “The importance of short line railroads to the commonwealth cannot be overstated, as they are a key driver of economic development. These grants will significantly impact the infrastructure of the rail lines in our commonwealth. R. J. Corman Railroad Group is proud to be a premier supply chain solutions provider for hundreds of companies in Kentucky. These grants will enable us to continue giving exemplary service to crucial businesses in the state, ensuring their connectivity to markets on both a national and global scale.”
In North Carolina, $12.9 million in grants will upgrade more than 10 miles of railroad corridor, improve 16 railroad bridges, and enhance port-rail operations, supporting the increase of freight rail traffic on the statewide railroad network, according to the NCDOT’s Rail Division. The funding comes from the Freight Rail & Rail Crossing Safety Improvement (FRRCSI) program, which was established in 2014. The state’s contribution will match equal investments for each project from participating railroad companies and the North Carolina Ports Authority. A total of $25.8 million will be invested into the statewide freight rail network through these projects.
The recipients are:
- Aberdeen Carolina and Western Railway (Railway Age 2023 Short Line of the Year Honorable Mention): Will receive $177,450 for bridge improvements along the Piedmont and Sandhills divisions (Cabarrus, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, and Stanly counties).
- Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad: Will receive $723,130 for track upgrades on the Aberdeen district (Hoke County).
- Alexander Railroad Company: Will receive two grants: $500,000 for track upgrades on the main line rail corridor (Alexander County) and $125,000 for track upgrades in the Statesville rail yard (Iredell County).
- Atlantic Railways Company: Will receive $388,192 for track upgrades along the Badin subdivision (Stanly County).
- Atlantic & Western Railway: Will receive $494,950 for corridor improvements and track upgrades to the Cumnock branch (Lee County).
- Chesapeake & Albemarle Railroad: Will receive $607,735 for bridge improvements and track upgrades along the main line (Camden, Pasquotank, Perquimans counties).
- Great Smoky Mountains Railroad: Will receive $2,080,364 for refurbishment and construction of new sidings, track upgrades, culvert and drainage upgrades, and slope retaining wall construction (Jackson, Swain, Macon, Cherokee counties).
- North Carolina Ports (Morehead City): Will receive $555,678 for upgrades to track, highway/rail grade crossings, and railcar switching operations (Carteret County).
- North Carolina Ports (Wilmington): Will receive $3,891,020 for construction of rail storage track and raising adjoining track (New Hanover County).
- North Carolina and Virginia Railroad: Will receive $1,011,279 for track upgrades and rail corridor improvements (Bertie and Northampton counties).
- Raleigh & Fayetteville Railroad: Will receive $999,586 for rail corridor improvements (Wake and Harnett counties).
- Wilmington Terminal Railroad: Will receive $639,528 for track upgrades within the Wilmington port rail yard (New Hanover County).
- Yadkin Valley Railroad: Will receive $750,130 for rail track upgrades and rail corridor improvements (Surry County).
“The benefits these projects offer the statewide freight rail network can’t be overstated,” NCDOT Rail Division Director Jason Orthner said during the Nov. 14 announcement. “Together, NCDOT and our short line partners are increasing reliability and resiliency in freight rail operations, supporting North Carolina businesses, and contributing to the state’s economic vitality.”
“Whether upgrading mainline track or renewing bridge structures, the cooperation of NCDOT’s Rail Division continues to be instrumental in recognizing and supporting these projects which enable a safer and more efficient rail transportation network throughout North Carolina,” added Carl Hollowell, President of The Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad.
“This investment highlights our strong partnership with the state of North Carolina and our mutual dedication to enhancing the state’s transportation infrastructure,” commented R.J. Corman Railroad Company President Ray Goss. “We are grateful to NCDOT for their unwavering support of our operations. With this funding and partnership, we remain committed to delivering exceptional rail services that contribute to the prosperity and development of the communities we serve.”
