Safer trains: New project aims to improve railways across 35 states

By James On Sep 26, 2023

The Biden administration announced Monday that it has awarded more than $1.4 billion to projects that improve rail safety and increase capacity, with about $1 billion coming from the 2021 infrastructure bill.

“These projects will make America’s rail safer, more reliable and more resilient, deliver tangible benefits to dozens of communities where rail is located and strengthen supply chains across the country,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.

The money will fund 70 projects in 35 states and Washington, DC. Railroad safety has become a major concern across the country since a train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed and caught fire in East Palestine, Ohio, in February. President Joe Biden has ordered federal agencies to hold the train’s operator, Norfolk Southern, responsible for the crash, but a package of proposed rail safety reforms has stalled in the Senate, where the bill is still awaiting a vote . The White House also says a possible government shutdown by Republicans in the House of Representatives would undermine rail safety.

The projects include track improvements and bridge repairs, in addition to improving connectivity between railways and making routes less vulnerable to extreme weather.

Among the projects is $178.4 million to restore passenger service to parts of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi along the Gulf of Mexico for the first time since Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005.

“This is an important milestone that represents years of dedicated efforts to reconnect our communities following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina,” Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said in a statement. “Restoring passenger rail will create jobs, improve quality of life and provide tourists with a convenient travel option, contributing to the economic growth and vitality of our region.”

The grant should allow passenger service to be restored to the Gulf Coast after Amtrak reached an agreement last year with CSX and Norfolk Southern Railways to clear the way for passenger trains to resume on freight railroad-owned tracks .

“We have been fighting to bring passenger rail back to the Gulf Coast since it was taken offline by Hurricane Katrina. That 17-year journey was filled with obstacles and frustration – but also moments of joy, where local champions and national advocates were able to come together around the vision of a more connected Gulf Coast region,” said Jim Mathews, president and CEO of the Rail Passengers Association. said.

The largest grant — nearly $202 million — will help eliminate seven railroad crossings in California as part of the larger project to build a high-speed rail line in that state. That will reduce traffic delays and ensure first responders can get where they need to go.

In one of the other largest grants, the Palouse River & Coulee City Railroad in Washington state will receive $72.8 million to upgrade its track and associated infrastructure so that the line can handle modern 286,000-pound rail cars.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, who as chair of the Commerce Committee defended the additional funding in the infrastructure bill, said the grant will allow grain trains to safely travel twice as fast along the 290-mile (477-kilometer) route.