October 29, 2024 - TRA Newswire -

Seven short line railroads that operate in Texas will be receiving up to $140 million in federal railroad grants that will help with track and bridge upgrades, along with other infrastructure improvements, it was announced today.

The railroads and other entities will pay up to 30% of the total cost of the projects, funded under the FY 2023-2024 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program (CRISI) by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration. 

Nationwide, Some $2.4 billion in railroad grants for 41 states were announced for 122 projects, with more than half going to smaller branch line railroads, most that operate in rural areas serving businesses and industries in small to medium size towns and cities. 

"Each project advances a future where our supply chains are stronger, passenger rail more accessible, and freight movement safer and more efficient,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. Some states received CRISI grants for passenger rail improvement projects, but TxDOT did not participate in Texas. 

Short Line Railroads that operate in Texas receiving grants were:

Kiamichi Railroad Company - Up to $56,619,066

Timber Rock Railroad, LLC - Up to $40,000,000

Dallas, Garland & Northeastern Railroad - Up to $16,754,834

Jaguar Transport Holdings, LLC / Texas & Eastern Railroad  - Up to $13,354,839

Rio Valley Switching Company - Up to $5,250,000

Texas Gonzales Northern Railway Company - Up to $4,634,546

Texas Rock Crusher Railway - Up to $3,511,714

These short line branch railroads are the first-mile, last-mile source connecting many rail shippers to main-line railroads Union Pacific, BNSF Railway and CPKC Railway throughout the state of Texas. 

Chuck Baker, president of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association(ASLRRA), said the grants will help those smaller railroads significantly. “Congress and the FRA can be confident that short lines will put these public dollars to good use, providing new and efficient ways of serving customers, linking small town and rural America to U.S. and international markets," according to Baker.

Here is the breakdown on each grant:

Kiamichi Tri-State Freight Rail Improvement Project Phase 2 (Up to $56,619,066) - Kiamichi Railroad Company LLC

The proposed project was selected for Final Design and Construction and includes activities to upgrade track on the Ashdown, Hope, and Paris subdivisions of the Kiamichi Railroad in Oklahoma, as well as Arkansas and in northeast Texas. The project will replace approximately 76 miles of jointed rail with continuous welded rail and resurface and install ballast on these segments, install ten rail lubricators to reduce rail wear from contact forces, resurface 114 crossings, and install trespassing signs and barriers at ten crossings. The project aligns with the selection criteria, as it will improve the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of freight movement along these rail corridors and continue to foster economic development and business retention in rural areas across three states. Kiamichi Railroad will contribute the 30 percent non-Federal match. This project qualifies for the statutory set-aside for projects in Rural Areas. 

Bridge to the Future: The Timber Rock Railroad Network Restoration Project (Up to $40,000,000) - Timber Rock Railroad, LLC

The proposed project was selected for Project Development, Final Design, and Construction and includes rehabilitation or replacement of approximately 29 bridges and replacement of railroad ties along the Timber Rock Railroad from Derider, LA, to Kirbyville, TX. The project aligns with the selection criteria by improving safety, operating efficiencies, and resiliency. The Timber Rock Railroad will contribute the 20 percent non-Federal match. This project qualifies for the statutory set-aside for projects in Rural Areas.

North Texas Rail Safety and Efficiency Project (Up to $16,754,834) - Dallas, Garland & Northeastern Railroad

The proposed project was selected for Construction and includes activities to replace and rehabilitate rail, ballast, and surfacing and to install rail lubricators on the Dallas, Garland & Northeastern Railroad between Sherman and McKinney, Texas. The project aligns with the selection criteria by enhancing safety and improving system and service performance, as the project will reduce derailment risk and increase operating speeds on the line. The Dallas, Garland & Northeastern Railroad will contribute the 30 percent non-Federal match. This project qualifies for the statutory set-aside for projects in Rural Areas.

East Texas Revival Project (Up to $13,354,839) - Jaguar Transport Holdings, LLC

The proposed project was selected for Construction and includes activities to rehabilitate deteriorating rail infrastructure along approximately 28.3 miles of Texas & Eastern Railroad track for Jaguar Transport Holdings, LLC. The project aligns with the selection criteria by enhancing safety and improving system and service performance, as the project will replace and upgrade ties, rail, switches, ballast, surfacing, and 17 crossings, thereby imparting benefits of efficiency, resiliency, and reducing the risk of derailments. The Texas State Rail Authority will contribute the 31 percent non-Federal match. This project qualifies for the statutory set-aside for projects in Rural Areas.

Rio Valley Capacity Improvement Project – Phase 2 (Up to $5,250,000) - Rio Valley Switching Company

The proposed project was selected for Final Design and Construction and includes activities to rehabilitate  Harlingen and Hidalgo yards, add a passing siding in Alamo, and expand the capacity of rail in the Hidalgo Trade Zone on Union Pacific rail lines leased by the Rio Valley Switching Company. The project aligns with the selection criteria by improving rail capacity and enhancing safety, as the project will increase crew time savings, increase efficiency of equipment usage, and reduce the risk of derailments. Rio Valley Switching Company will contribute the 25 percent non-Federal match.

Texas Triangle Rail Revitalization Project (Up to $4,634,546) - Texas Gonzales Northern Railway Company 

The proposed project was selected for Final Design and Construction and includes activities to replace seven open deck timber pile bridges on the Texas, Gonzales, and Northern Railway Company in central Texas located midway between Gonzales and Harwood. The project aligns with selection criteria by enhancing safety, as the project will address maximum load limitations and vulnerability to wildfire, thereby imparting benefits of resiliency and capacity. The Texas, Gonzalez, and Northern Railway Company will contribute the 30 percent non-Federal match. This project qualifies for the statutory set aside for projects in Rural Areas.

The Camp Bowie Access Project (Up to $3,511,714) - The Texas Rock Crusher Railway 

The proposed project was selected for Project Development, Final Design, and Construction and includes activities to rehabilitate approximately 2.5 miles of track and replace one timber bridge for the Texas Rock Crusher Railway in Brownwood. The project aligns with the selection criteria by enhancing safety and improving system and service performance, as the project will reduce slow orders, bridge defects, and wildfire vulnerability. The Texas Rock Crusher Railway will contribute the 30 percent non-Federal match.