The Federal Railroad Administration has announced the recipients for the USD 302 million funds under the Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair programme for US rail rehabilitation projects.
The grants will fund 12 railway projects in nine states.
Among the selected states, New Jersey received the largest funding, of USD 91.5 million. Under the partnership between Amtrak and New Jersey Transit Corporation two projects were submitted. The Portal North Bridge project obtained a USD 55.1 million funding for the replacement of 4 km double track fixed span crossing the Hackensack River. USD 36.4 million was provided for the reconstruction of Substation 41, an Amtrak-owned electrical facility in Kearny that powers Northeast Corridor services. This project envisages the reconstruction of the substation at a higher elevation (4.5m) for the creation of a larger platform and rerouting up to four traction power transmission circuits
With USD 80 million funding, North Carolina ranks the second for the second phase of Piedmont intercity fleet and infrastructure investments project submitted by the state’s Department of Transport. The project six locomotives and 13 passenger coaches will be acquired to replace the existing state-owned fleet. The new rolling stock will serve Amtrak’s Piedmont service between Charlotte and Raleigh. The project has also received USD 76.9 million in 2019.
The third position belongs to the New York state, with a USD 47.5 million funding for two MTA projects. USD 30 million will finance the replacement of 210 catenary structures on the Amtrak-owned Hell Gate Line between Penn Station, New York and New Rochelle. USD 17.5 million will be used for the rehabilitation of platforms 7 and 8 at Penn Station New York.
In Connecticut, the Department of Transport in partnership with Amtrak received USD 29.9 million federal funding for the Walk Bridge project that envisages the replacement of the existing movable Norwalk (Walk) River Bridge with two independent two-track vertical lift rail bridges.
In the state of California USD 18.3 million financing was approved for two projects. USD 11.57 million will be used for the Coastal Bluff track bed stabilization and seismic improvements project, while USD 6.75 million allotted to Southern California Regional Rail Authority will fund the rehabilitation of four rural rail bridges.
USD 12.48 million are provided in Illinois, for the Metra-owned Milwaukee North Line interlocking improvements project envisaging the modernisation of three interlockings on the route. The line is used by Amtrak’s Hiawatha and Empire Builder services, Metra’s Milwaukee District North service, and two freight railway operators.
Pennsylvania and Maryland received USD 8.33 million and USD 8 million respectively. In Pennsylvania, the funding will be used for Harrisburg Line capacity improvements which includes the rehabilitation of 16-km Track 2 section from Glen to Thorn Interlocking in Chester County. In Maryland, the awarded financing will support the rehabilitation of 8 km rail section on the Amtrak-owned Northeast Corridor (NEC) mainline near Baltimore.
The smallest funding, of USD 6.5 million, was provided to the Michigan Department of Transport for track and signal upgrades on the state-owned Kalamazoo-Dearborn corridor, used by Amtrak’s Wolverine and Blue Water services and freight operators.
These US rail rehabilitation projects include track upgrading, switches, bridges, passenger stations, highway-rail grade crossings and equipment, including passenger cars.
The FY 2019 Partnership programme selections total approximately USD 302.6 million of the USD 396 million made available for grants under the 2019 Consolidated Appropriations Act.
FRA will make the remaining USD 93.4 million available with a Notice of Funding Opportunity for FY 2020 Partnership programme funds.
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