U.S. Rail Projects Receive $1.4B From Biden Infrastructure Bill
The Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be awarding $1.4bn in funding to 70 projects in the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration.
According to Railway Technology, the majority of projects will support rail safety and supply chains in the rail freight industry and nearly two-thirds of the CRISI funding will be directed into rural communities.
National rail company Amtrak is one of the organizations benefiting from the funding with almost $200m going towards four of its projects in the Northeast Corridor and the Gulf Coast states, including $178m for the Gulf Coast Corridor Improvement Project.
That project includes the development and construction of various railway track, signal, grade-crossing, and station improvements that will enable the organization, along with the Southern Rail Commission, to run twice-daily services between Mobile, Alabama and New Orleans, Louisiana.
Amtrak also supported a number of grants from other entities covering work in areas including the Massachusetts DOT, Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, Maryland DOT, City of Birmingham DOT, and the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority.
CEO Stephen Gardner said: “The CRISI grants announced today will help launch new and expanded service, advance critical safety and reliability improvements, and provide opportunities for the workforce, marking another big milestone as we continue to advance a new era of passenger rail.”
“I am grateful for the partnership Amtrak has with our state, host and commuter partners and our labour representatives that helped support these grants,” he added.
Other projects to receive significant funding from the CRISI program include the Rural Rail Rehabilitation Phase II Project in eastern Washington, which received more than $72.8m to improve and enhance infrastructure on the Palouse River & Coulee City Railroad, an important line for the wheat supply chain, to allow it to carry modern railcars and protect it against severe weather.
