First Look: FRA CRISI Grantees for FY21

Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
Brightline has been awarded a $15 million CRISI grant to advance preliminary engineering activities to support its 67-mile extension from Orlando to Tampa, Fla.

Brightline has been awarded a $15 million CRISI grant to advance preliminary engineering activities to support its 67-mile extension from Orlando to Tampa, Fla.

More than $368 million in FY 2021 CRISI (Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements) program grants will be distributed among 46 freight and passenger projects in 32 states and the District of Columbia, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) reported on June 2.

Twenty-four of the winning projects were submitted by American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) members. Other projects include the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Raleigh to Richmond Corridor Infrastructure Engineering & Safety Program, which will eventually result in new intercity passenger rail service; the Tampa to Orlando High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Project for Brightline, Florida’s private-sector passenger railroad; Maryland Port Administration’s Port of Baltimore Rail Capacity Modernization Project; and the development of a railroad engineering program at Morgan State University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Baltimore, Md., which will be modeled after the University of Delaware’s railroad engineering program.

FRA said the selected projects “will not only improve and expand passenger rail and fund conventional and high-speed rail, but also will increase supply chain resilience and fluidity, support short line railroads, and invest in in new technology and safety advancements, and benefit rail industry workforce development and training activities—helping to create jobs and increase economic growth.”

More than 122 eligible CRISI grant program applications requesting approximately $1.2 billion were received in FY 2021—far exceeding available funding, said FRA, which published the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the grant program last summer.

Eligible projects included those that reduce congestion; address highway-rail grade crossings; upgrade short line and regional railroad infrastructure; relocate rail lines; improve intercity passenger rail capital assets; target trespassing; enhance multi-modal connections; and facilitate service integration between rail and other modes, such as at ports or intermodal facilities. They were evaluated on how they foster safety and equitable economic strength; improve core assets and ensure racial equity and economic inclusion; address climate change and resilience; and modernize the nation’s transportation infrastructure.

FRA Administrator Amit Bose

“This round of CRISI grants—one of the largest ever—is a major step forward for the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to revitalize and rebuild the country’s infrastructure,” FRA Administrator Amit Bose said. “These awards will allow FRA to support rail projects that lay the groundwork for future economic growth.” (Scroll down for the complete list, plus downloadable details.)

The Infrastructure Improvement and Jobs Act (IIJA)—also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which was signed on Nov. 15, 2021—nearly tripled funding for the program to $1 billion per year for the next five years. A NOFO for the FY 2022 CRISI grant program is expected in August 2022.

Industry Response

American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association President Chuck Baker

“We thank Congress for making these vital resources available, and we applaud the FRA for putting them to use in such a smart, efficient way,” ASLRRA President Chuck Baker said. “There’s no better bang for the buck than investing in short line freight rail, which is so often the critical first and last mile for moving goods and freight nationwide. The investments announced today will enhance the safety of freight movement, promote an environmentally sustainable mode of transportation, take freight off crowded highways, and provide a profound economic benefit to hundreds of short line freight rail customers and communities, largely in small town and rural America.”

“ASLRRA is working to ensure that all members are well-informed and ready to compete for the next round of funding through various methods including hosting webinars, encouraging the use of our Grant Writing Preferred Partners, and providing timely information directly to our members,” Baker continued. “We will continue to work with our member railroads and our state and local partners to make our case in future CRISI funding rounds as to why investing in short line freight rail projects is such an effective method to build resilience across America’s supply chain.”

Saginaw, Mich.-based Lake State Railway Company, Railway Age’s 2021 Regional Railroad of the Year, was the location chosen by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to officially announce the FY 2021 CRISI grant program awards, ASLRRA reported. Lake State is a prior award recipient. “The Secretary highlighted two short line projects in Michigan receiving grant awards for major track rehabilitations and infrastructure improvements – the Great Lakes Central Railroad and West Michigan Railroad Co.,” ASLRRA noted.

FY 2021 Award List

RURAL AWARDS: 21 projects requesting up to $183,961,374

1. Alabama & Tennessee River Railway (ATN) – Safety, Transportation, Education, and Mobility Project: Up to $4,962,110 will be used to upgrade ATN between Birmingham and Guntersville, Ala., to increase capacity, speed, efficiency, and eliminate safety risks posed by rail switching operations across SR-144. Class III ATN will provide a 50% match. (ASLRRA member)

2. Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC) – ARRC MP 422.9 Bridge Replacement: Up to $3,144,277 will be used to replace an aging 62-foot, single-span thru girder bridge on the ARRC main rail route between Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska, with a new 75-foot, single-span deck plate girder bridge. Class II ARRC will provide a 50% match. (ASLRRA member)

3. Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad, LLC – Florida Panhandle Rural Capacity Expansion Project: Up to $8,300,000 will be used to replace approximately 70,000 ties, install approximately 14,300 new ties, rehabilitate 11 sidings, and repair 60 grade crossings between Jacksonville and Pensacola, Fla., to increase line capacity. Class III FGA will provide most of a 50% match, with contributions from three private-sector sources. (ASLRRA member)

4. Georgia Department of Transportation – Heart of Georgia Americus Sub Upgrade Project: Up to $6,190,137 will be used to replace approximately 18 miles of rail, 2,750 crossties, make associated surface and ballast improvements, and install an OWLS Diamond switch as well as 10 turnouts between Preston, Ga., and Cordele, Ga. These improvements will accommodate 286K GRL and eliminate slow-orders along 51 miles of Heart of Georgia Railroad (HOG) lines that connect at the Cordele Inland Port. Class III HOG is owned by Georgia Department of Transportation, which will provide a 50% match. (ASLRRA member)

5. Georgia Department of Transportation – Georgia Southwestern Railroad (GSWR): Up to $2,950,000 will be used to replace approximately nine miles of 100-pound jointed rail with 115-pound rail, and upgrade railroad bridges along 65 miles of the GSWR. Class III GSWR railroad is owned by Georgia Department of Transportation, which will provide a 50% match. (ASLRRA member)

6. Burlington Shortline Railroad, Inc. (BJRY; Ill.) – Western Illinois Freight Rail Revitalization Project: Up to $1,769,767 will be used to replace two bridges on the BJRY in Quincy, Ill. Class III BJRY will provide a 51% match. (ASLRRA member)

7. Indiana Department of Transportation – Connecting the Crossroads of America: Up to $8,383,761 will be used to make track improvements across the Chicago, Fort Wayne & Eastern Railroad (CFE) main line (a 54-mile segment) and Decatur Subdivision (a 14-mile segment) in Northern Indiana. Additionally, 43 at-grade crossing surfaces are to be replaced with rubber seal/asphalt design for handling heavier loads, longevity of construction, and improved efficiency of travel at crossings. Class III CFE and the Indiana Department of Transportation will provide a 51% match. (ASLRRA member)

8. Iowa Northern Railway Company (IANR) – Installation of 27.3 Miles of Continuous Welded Rail on IANR Manly & Cedar Rapids Subdivisions: Up to $7,173,452 will be used to install approximately 27.3 miles of continuous welded rail across the Manly Subdivision and the Cedar Rapids Subdivision in Northeastern Iowa. This project will enable the track to achieve an FRA Class 3 status allowing train speeds up to 40 mph, and expedite the removal of all remaining jointed rail that has exceeded its reasonable life expectancy. The Class III IANR will provide a 50% match. (ASLRRA member)

9. Kansas Department of Transportation – KYLE Railroad Gateway Project: Up to $9,367,113 will be used to replace 23.5 track miles of 85-pound sectional rail with 115-pound continuous welded rail on the Kyle Railroad Company’s Concordia Subdivision between Beloit and Yuma Junction, Kans. The project also includes replacing seven main line turnouts with 115-pound No. 10 turnouts; a new 115-pound rail crossing in Beloit; rebuilding three public grade crossings with concrete surfacing; and rebuilding 46 public and private grade crossings with timber plank surfacing. Class III Kyle Railroad Company and the Kansas Department of Transportation will provide a 52.5% match. (ASLRRA member)

10. Kansas Department of Transportation – Southwest Kansas Infrastructure Upgrade Project: Up to $10,991,971 will be used for a series of improvements on the Cimarron Valley Railroad (CVR) from Dodge City to Hugoton, Kans. The project will replace approximately 51,618 crossties, perform approximately 3,577 flash-butt welds to rail, relay 3.7 miles of rail in curves, apply new ballast to 67 miles of track, and surface 85 miles of track. The Class III CVR and Kansas Department of Transportation will provide a 27% match. (ASLRRA member)

11. R.J. Corman Railroad Company, LLC (Ky.) – The Bluegrass Multimodal Freight Improvement Project: Up to $7,380,600 will fund three improvements to the Central Kentucky Lines railroad (RJCC) between Frankfurt and Lexington, Ky. Specifically, it will cover a new freight rail-to-truck transload facility just outside of Frankfort, Ky.; rehabilitate track on the RJCC main line between Frankfort and Lexington, Ky.; and make improvements to an existing main yard and transload facility in Lexington, Ky. The Class III RJCC will provide a 40% match. (ASLRRA member)

12. Michigan Department of Transportation – Great Lakes Corridor Improvement: Up to $21,340,300 will be used to rehabilitate track and rail assets operated by the Great Lakes Central Railroad (GLC) just north of Ann Arbor, Mich. Specifically, the project includes installing 4.25 miles of new rail, eliminating joints on an additional 41.25 main line track miles, replacing or rehabilitating 11 bridges and culverts, and installing approximately 30,000 ties on main line and siding track. The Michigan Department of Transportation and the Class II GLC will provide a 50% match. (ASLRRA member)

13. West Michigan Railroad Co. (WMR) – WMR Rail Replacement and Mainline Reconstruction: Up to $8,697,910 will fund construction of and infrastructure improvements to approximately 10 miles of WMR in southwest Michigan. Specific improvements include rail and crosstie replacements, reconstructed roadbeds, bridge and turnout repairs, upgrade and replacement of two at-grade crossings, and rebuilding of approximately 5.6 miles of track. The Class III WMR and Michigan Department of Transportation will provide a 35% match. (ASLRRA member)

14. Twin Cities & Western Railroad (TCW) – TCW Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement: Up to $1,478,000 will be used to improve 12.2 miles of track on the TCW Glencoe and Plano, Minn. The Class III TCW will provide a 50% match. (ASLRRA member)

15. North Carolina Department of Transportation – Raleigh to Richmond Corridor Infrastructure Engineering & Safety Program:
Up to $57,900,000 will be used to perform surveys and complete preliminary engineering (30% design) for Raleigh to Richmond (R2R) Corridor Program improvements between Raleigh, N.C., and Richmond, Va. Included in this project is the construction of a grade separation on the S-Line in Wake Forest, N.C. “The project will advance the next phase of the R2R corridor development, which will eventually result in new intercity passenger rail service on a state-owned route that will access currently underserved and minority rural communities with rail service, as well as improve travel times on the existing Amtrak Silver Meteor service,” according to FRA. “The project qualifies for the statutorily required set-aside for projects eligible under 49 U.S.C. § 22907(c)(2) that support the development of new intercity passenger rail service routes including alignments for existing routes.” The North Carolina Department of Transportation, the Virginia Department of Transportation and Amtrak will provide a 39% match.

16. North Dakota Department of Transportation – Rural Economic Preservation Through Rail Replacement: Up to $6,704,544 will be used to replace approximately 14.5 miles of jointed rail with continuous welded rail on the Red River Valley & Western Railroad (RRVW) between Independence and Oakes, N.D. The North Dakota Department of Transportation, Class III RRVW, and two additional private-sector entities will provide a 30% match. (ASLRRA member)

17. Nebraska Central Railroad Company (NCRC) – NCRC Rail Enhancements: Up to $6,317,982 will be used to complete the preliminary engineering, environmental clearance, final design and construction of four rail sidings, including through three at-grade crossings, on NCRC’s line in eastern Nebraska. The Class III NCRC will provide a 41% match. (ASLRRA member)

18. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey – Artificial Intelligence Aided Monitoring System for Railroad Trespassing Mitigation: Up to $582,859 will be used to develop and demonstrate an artificial intelligence-based (AI) method to detect and assess trespassing incidents. Rutgers University, with the support Amtrak, the Louisiana Department of Transportation, and Dover and Rockaway River Railroad will demonstrate this technology on five at-grade crossing areas in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Louisiana. Rutgers, a University Transportation Center, and Amtrak will provide a 42% match.

19. Ohio Rail Development Commission – Wheeling & Lake Erie (WLE) Spencer Connection Project: Up to $6,868,768 will be used to construct a new connecting track and an extension of yard tracks in the WLE Spencer Yard to eliminate switching movements and allow trains to directly access the yard from two railway subdivisions in Spencer, Ohio. The Ohio Rail Development Commission and WLE will provide a 30% match. (ASLRRA member)

20. Gettysburg & Northern Railroad Co. (GET; Pa.) – Gettysburg State and Private Investments Driving Economic Recovery Project: Up to $1,840,000 will be used to rehabilitate approximately 24 miles of the GET main line in Adams and Cumberland County, Pa. The Class III GET (a Pioneer Lines subsidiary) and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will provide a 55% match. “Pioneer Lines is dedicated to bolstering safety and customer service across our railroads,” said Alex Yeros, CEO and President of Pioneer Lines. “Funding provided for this project will do just that by improving grade crossing safety and track conditions on the Gettysburg and Northern Railway. The GET has tremendous growth potential and is ideally situated to serve Pennsylvania’s agriculture and manufacturing sectors. We look forward to working with our state and local officials to grow business and economic activity throughout the region.” Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary for Multimodal Transportation Jennie Louwerse added: “Pennsylvania has the most operating railroads in the country, and we are committed to keeping goods moving through our economy. We are pleased to invest in projects like this because keeping our rail lines operating safely and efficiently is critical.” (ASLRRA member)

21. Appalachian and Ohio Railroad, Inc. (A&O; W.Va.) – A&O’s Rural Railroad Safety Improvement Project: Up to $1,617,824 will be used to make safety improvements along an approximately 42-mile railroad corridor on A&O from Grafton to Buckhannon, W.Va. The project will install a new Broken Rail Detection System on the entire signaled section of A&O rail line. The Class III A&O will provide a 39% match. (ASLRRA member)

REMAINING PROJECTS: 25 projects requesting up to $184,615,694

1. Little Rock Port Authority (Ark.) – Freight Rail Capacity Improvement Project: Up to $5,569,373 will be used to add 11,215 feet of track at two locations—the Slackwater Harbor siding and North Marshaling Yard tracks—as well as construct an engine maintenance facility at the Little Rock Arkansas Port Authority location. The applicant will provide a 25% match. (ASLRRA member)

2. City of Phoenix, Ariz. – The Phoenix, Arizona Urban Safety Rail Crossing Project: Up to $7,084,656 will be used to improve make two complex, heavily trafficked at-grade crossings in Phoenix. The city will provide a 30% match.

3. City of San Jose, Calif. – Southern San Jose Grade Separations (Monterey Rd.): Up to $7,500,000 will be used to fund preliminary engineering and environmental reviews necessary for grade separations at three existing at-grade crossings on Union Pacific track; they are adjacent to intersections with Monterey Road, a high-fatality corridor, with more than 33,000 vehicles daily, and have a recent history of fatality and injury crashes. The project will be built concurrently with the California High-Speed Rail Project through the area. San Jose will provide a 25% match.

4. Alameda County Transportation Commission (Calif.) – Alameda County Rail Safety Enhancement Program – Phase A: Up to $25,000,000 will be used for safety improvements to 28 at-grade crossings and two trespassing sites along Union Pacific track in Alameda County, Calif. The FRA ranked Alameda County fourth on the list of most pedestrian fatalities in the United States in 2019. Alameda County will provide a 63% match.

5. City of San Jose, Calif. – Southern San Jose Grade Separations (Bascom Ave.): Up to $1,220,000 will be used to construct a queue cutter traffic signal at the Bascom Avenue Highway-Rail Crossing on the Vasona rail corridor in San Jose, Calif. San Jose will provide a 50% match.

6. San Jose State University Research Foundation (Calif.) – Climate Change and Extreme Events Training and Research Program: Up to $4,666,011 will be used to establish a Climate Change and Extreme Events Training and Research (CCEETR) program at San Jose State University. The program’s aim is to improve the rail network’s safety and resilience against extreme events, including climate change. The applicant will focus on five projects: application of emerging technologies to create evaluation and simulation scenarios for railroad personnel training; creation and delivery of training programs that can be used by freight and passenger railroads to enhance their ability to develop response programs to enhance resiliency; development of predictive assessment tools to support detection, alert, and warning systems planning, operations, response, and recovery from emergencies and disruptive events; enhance technology transfer, career pathways, economic and workforce development for minority, small businesses, and underserved communities; and evaluation and demonstration of sensors on mobile and fixed platforms to identify risks for the North American rail network. The San Jose State University, a University Transportation Center, and consortium partners will provide a 20% match.

7. San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG; Calif.) – Pacific Surfliner Bridge 257.2 Replacement Project: Up to $8,042,730 will be used to replace the Pacific Surfliner Bridge 257.2 in San Diego County, Calif. The timber bridge, constructed in 1917, is located along a double-track segment of the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) rail corridor. SANDAG and North County Transit District will provide a 42% match.

8. Colorado Springs City Government (Colo.) – South Downtown Railroad Underpass Reconstruction Project: Up to $2,500,000 will be used to advance preliminary engineering and environmental review of three Union Pacific bridges, and realign a 1.5-mile segment of mainline track in Colorado Springs, Colo. The track segment is on a shared corridor with BNSF, and the existing bridges constrain planned expansions of the roadways and the development of bus rapid transit service. Colorado Springs will provide a 34% match.

9. City of Commerce City, Colo. – 120th Avenue Grade Separated Crossing with US 85 and Union Pacific: Up to $9,589,000 will be used to advance preliminary engineering and right-of-way acquisition to create a new grade-separated interchange with US 85 and 120th Avenue and a grade-separation with 120th Avenue and the Union Pacific line in Commerce City, Colo. Commerce City and state partners will provide a 40% match, and the project also includes additional federal funds in TIP/FHWA funding.

10. Connecticut Department of Transportation – Enfield Station and Track Improvements: Up to $13,860,000 will be used to conduct environmental review, preliminary engineering, final design and construction of a new station to accommodate increased service as part of the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail Program and improve under-bridge clearance in Enfield, Conn. The Connecticut Department of Transportation will provide a 50% match, and the project also includes additional federal funds from FTA.

11. Amtrak, District of Columbia – Mechanical Craft Workforce Development Apprenticeship Training Program: Up to $8,000,000
will be used for a three-year Mechanical Craft Workforce Development Apprenticeship Training Program that will provide professional development opportunities for current and future Amtrak employees. The pilot mechanical training program will begin in 2022; the full training program of additional classes will be carried out from the end of 2022 to the end of third-quarter 2025. Amtrak will provide a 20% non-federal match.

12. University of Delaware – Development and Implementation of HBCU Based Railroad Engineering Program for Underrepresented Communities: Up to $4,592,637 will be used to develop and implement a railroad engineering program at Morgan State University (MSU), a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Baltimore, Md. The new program would be modeled after the University of Delaware’s railroad engineering program, with the goal of an active undergraduate and graduate railroad concentration under the Transportation Engineering degree program underway within the grant’s anticipated four-year period of performance. The University of Delaware, a University Transportation Center, will provide a 20% match.

13. Brightline (Fla.) – Tampa to Orlando High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Project: Up to $15,875,000 will be used to advance preliminary engineering activities to support Phase 3 of the Brightline system: a 67-mile extension from the Orlando International Airport to Tampa, Fla., mostly within the right-of-way of I-4 in central Florida. Brightline currently operates from Miami to West Palm Beach, Fla. (Phase 1); its West Palm Beach to Orlando segment (Phase 2) is expected to be complete by the end of 2022 and carry passengers in 2023. The project qualifies for the statutorily required set-aside for projects eligible under 49 U.S.C. § 22907(c)(2) that support the development of new intercity passenger rail service routes including alignments for existing routes. Brightline, a privately owned intercity passenger service provider, will provide a 50% match.

14. Elkhart & Western Railroad (EWR; Ind.) – The Elkhart Preservation and Improvement for the Community Project (EPIC): Up to $2,618,173 will be used to relocate interchange track, upgrade the nine-mile Elkhart Branch line to Class I railroad track safety standards, expand rail siding capacity, and replace three grade crossing surfaces on the EWR in Elkhart, Ind. The Class III EWR (a Pioneer Lines subsidiary), Indiana Department of Transportation, the city of Elkhart, and the St. Joseph County Redevelopment Commission will provide a 50% match. “The EWR plays a key role in the manufacturing economy of Elkhart, and this funding will allow the EWR to accommodate customer growth while improving safety and reducing blocked crossings in the community,” Pioneer Lines CEO and President Alex Yeros said following the CRISI grant program award announcement. “For the project to have the support of all levels of government—local, county, state and federal—is a tremendous feat and underscores how transformational it will be for northern Indiana.” (ASLRRA member)

15. Massachusetts Department of Transportation – Springfield Area Track Reconfiguration Project: Up to $1,750,000 will be used to develop preliminary engineering and environmental clearance for track, signal and infrastructure improvements around Springfield Union Station in Springfield, Mass. These improvements would include additional platforms, additional crossover tracks, storage tracks, a new layover facility, and other work that will support the Amtrak Springfield Line, the CSX Boston Albany Line, and small segments of the former Armory Branch and Knowledge Corridor. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation will provide a 50% match.

16. Maryland Port Administration – Port of Baltimore Rail Capacity Modernization Project: Up to $15,680,000 will be used to construct four new working tracks and two crane rail beams within the Port of Baltimore’s Seagirt Marine Terminal in Baltimore, Md. “The proposed improvements aim to meet future demand in intermodal volumes due to the ability to move double-stack trains from the Seagirt Marine Terminal upon completion of the Howard Street Tunnel Project in 2025, as sufficient space will be provided under the crane hook to accommodate four future working tracks as volumes grow,” according to FRA. “The Seagirt Terminal supports multi-modal connections with rail, road and water to both Norfolk Southern and CSX.” Ports America Chesapeake, the operator of the Seagirt Marine Terminal, will provide a 30% match.

17. Rankin County, Miss. – Mississippi Highway -18/ Kansas City Southern Grade Separation: Up to $1,500,000 will be used to fund preliminary engineering and environmental review to eliminate the at-grade crossing at Highway 18 and the Kansas City Southern rail line, and replace it with a new grade-separated bridge and additional travel lane in Brandon, Miss. Rankin County will provide a 50% match.

18. The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway Corp. (NYS&W) – NYS&W Railway Syracuse Main Installation of 6.9 miles of CWR, New Ties and Ballast/Surfacing: $2,931,122 will be used to fund environmental review, final design and installation of approximately 6.9 miles of continuous welded rail, new rail ties, ballast/surfacing, and four new switches on the NYS&W in Onondaga and Cortland counties, N.Y. The Class III NYS&W and New York State Department of Transportation will provide a 50% match. (ASLRRA member)

19. City of Cincinnati, Ohio – River Road Highway/Rail Grade Crossing Safety Improvements: Up to $6,067,200 will be used to make safety improvements to four crossings on CSX and Central Railroad of Indiana (CIND) in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati will provide a 20% match. (ASLRRA member)

20. The Redevelopment Authority of the County of Berks, Pa. – Colebrookdale Railroad Infrastructure, Safety & Capacity Upgrade: Up to $14,681,397 will be used to rehabilitate approximately 8.6 miles of track with 130-pound continuous welded rail; rehabilitate or replace 14 bridges; and construct two rail-served transload yards and six sidings. The applicant will provide a 65% match. (ASLRRA member)

21. Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority, Tex. – Harlingen Rail Improvements Project: Up to $5,570,566 will be used to relocate and realign approximately 1.7 miles of track and construct one new crossing to eliminate seven existing at-grade crossings in Harlingen, Tex. The new track connection will enable the Union Pacific Harlingen Subdivision track to connect to the Union Pacific Brownsville Subdivision, as well as straighten two curves. The applicant will provide a 20% match.

22. Virginia Passenger Rail Authority – Ettrick Station Improvements: Up to $6,355,829 will be used to improve the station located in the Village of Ettrick, within Chesterfield County, Virginia. FRA reported that the aim is to “accommodate the future installation of a third track to accommodate the extension of the Southeast Corridor from Richmond to Raleigh.” The project qualifies for the statutorily required set-aside for projects eligible under 49 U.S.C. § 22907(c)(2) that support the development of new intercity passenger rail service routes including alignments for existing routes. The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority will provide a 40% match.

23. Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (Wash.) – Pierce County Rail Capacity and Reliability Improvement Project: Up to $10,000,000 will be used to complete preliminary engineering and environmental review for track and signal improvements to increase passenger and freight rail capacity, including double-tracking and other track and signal improvements, in the Pacific Northwest High Speed Rail Corridor between Tacoma, Lakewood, and DuPont, Wash. These improvements, FRA reported, “are envisioned to accommodate planned additional daily Amtrak Cascades trains by 2040, a reduction in the average 30-minute delays on Sounder Commuter Rail, and increased service reliability and on-time performance for freight and passenger trains through additional capacity that will reduce conflict on congested track.” The applicant will provide a 50% match.

24. Washington State Department of Transportation Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor Reliability – Landslide Mitigation Phase IV Project: Up to $3,837,000 will be used to reduce landslide blocking events by installing catchment walls along BNSF’s Scenic Subdivision at three locations between Seattle and Everett, Wash. The project will also improve the existing slide fence alert system that notifies dispatchers and train crews of possible track intrusion and improves drainage along the track. The Washington Department of Transportation and BNSF will provide a 50% match.

25. Wisconsin Department of Transportation Trespassing Safety Study: Up to $125,000 will be used to fund a study on the development of safety solutions for trespassing and grade crossing incidents in two rail corridors in southeastern Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation will provide a 50% match.

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