Thirty-three Rail Freight Projects Approved For State Funding Through Three Programs; Action Sustains Roughly 43,000 Jobs

HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Tom Corbett announced today that 33 rail freight improvement projects that will help sustain more than 43,000 jobs across Pennsylvania were approved today for funding from three PennDOT-managed programs.

"Pennsylvania has more operating railroads than any other state, and investing in our rail freight network keeps these invaluable assets in prime position to generate economic growth and jobs,'' Corbett said. "Improving rail networks not only spurs our economy, it also increases safety by helping to ease traffic on our highways."

The State Transportation Commission (STC) voted to approve $33.4 million for 15 projects through the Rail Transportation Assistance Program (RTAP) and 14 projects through the Rail Freight Assistance Program (RFAP). RTAP is a capital budget grant program funded with bonds and RFAP is underwritten through the new Multi-Modal Fund, created by Act 89. In November, Corbett signed Act 89, a far-reaching transportation program that clears the way for significant investments in all transportation modes.

Also, the STC approved $1.3 million for four projects from Marcellus Shale impact fees designated for distribution through PennDOT's Bureau of Rail Freight, Ports and Waterways.

For more information, visit www.dot.state.pa.us.

Media contact: Rich Kirkpatrick or Erin Waters-Trasatt, PennDOT 717-783-8800
Steve Chizmar, Governor's Office 717-783-1116

Editor's Note: Following is a by-county list of approved rail freight projects under the three programs with the state share:

RTAP Projects:

Allegheny County

• Allegheny Valley Railroad Co. -- $1.2 million to construct 4,500 feet of track for a new interchange siding with the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway at Bruceton, Pa.

Berks County

• Redevelopment Authority of Berks County -- $952,839 to rehabilitate and expand rail resources to accommodate a new rail-shipment customer.

Blair, Centre, Columbia, Lycoming, Mifflin, Northumberland counties

• SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority -- $1.8 million to rehabilitate nine bridges on five short-line rail systems to support 315,000-pound cars.

Bucks County

• Bucks County Railroad Preservation & Restoration Corp. -- $1.8 million to replace rail.

Clinton County

• South Avis Realty -- $2.5 million to reconstruct the existing rail yard and construct additional track.

Crawford County

• Economic Progress Alliance of Crawford County -- $4 million to construct a 7,000-foot unit train loop track and a 400-foot industrial track siding for a new tenant in the Keystone Regional Industrial Park.

Dauphin County

• Mittal Steel USA Railways Steelton & Highspire -- $1.9 million to rehabilitate 14,242 feet of track, including 27 turnouts.

Lackawanna County

• Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Rail Authority -- $674,800 to purchase and install 8,000 ties and 7,715 linear feet of rail.

Luzerne County

• Medley Investments -- $940,310 to relocate CPR's mainline switch, construct 1,050-foot new siding, install a concrete pad for loading and unloading and establish a stone/gravel storage area.

Mercer County

• Hodge Foundry, Inc. -- $524,514 to construct a new 460-foot rail siding on the CN/Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad Co. mainline.

McKean County

• Casella Waste Management of Pennsylvania, Inc. -- nearly $7 million to construct a rail siding transfer station along the Buffalo & Pittsburgh line.

Montgomery County

• Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad -- $539,000 to install 6,000 cross ties and surface 16,000 feet of track.

Warren County

• Allegheny Eastern Railroad Inc. -- $2.3 million to re-establish and upgrade tracks in the Warren yard.

Wyoming County

• Procter and Gamble Paper Products Co. -- $250,600 to construct track, replace cross ties, replace timber, install ballast and improve the line's surface.

Westmoreland County

• Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corporation -- $1.1 million for the first of three phases for a project replacing 2.4 miles of worn rail with rail that will eliminate joints.

RFAP Projects:

Allegheny County

• Leetsdale Industrial Corp. -- $700,000 for the last phase of track rehabilitation in the industrial park, including turnout replacement, welding, upgrading rail and rail alignment.
• The Techs Industries, Inc. -- $229,320 to replace crossties, improve drainage and remove and replace ballast.

Berks, Chester, Lehigh and Montgomery counties

• East Penn Railroad LLC -- $493,640 to replace ties, rails, ballast and renew rail crossing.

Chester County

• Mittal Steel USA Railways, Inc. -- $230,790 to rebuild 1,598 feet of track and replace two turnouts.
• Arcelor Plate, LLC -- $197,610 to rehabilitate more than 1,500 feet of track and one turnout.

Crawford and Venango counties

• Oil Creek Titusville Lines, Inc. -- $127,194 to install 1,500 new cross ties, and restore proper profile and depth of roadbed.

Lancaster County

• Columbia and Reading Railway Co. LLC -- $732,200 to add five new tracks, five new turnouts, realign 390 feet of mainline track, add four new turnouts and 1,350 feet of new track.

Luzerne County

• Hazleton Shaft Corp. -- $250,000 to construct a new rail spur for access to new anthracite coal thermal drying facility.

Montgomery County

• Pennsylvania Northeast Railroad -- $507,150 to install 2,000 new cross ties and replace and repair two grade crossings.

Mifflin County

• Standard Steel, LLC -- $700,000 to remove and replace 2,600 feet of track and several turnouts.

Northumberland County

• North Shore Railroad -- $250,000 for the first of two phases consisting of constructing 1,500 feet of new track in the yard.

Philadelphia

• James J. Anderson Construction Co. Inc. -- $476,000 to rehabilitate 5,618-foot loop track, including grade crossing and replace cross ties and miscellaneous rail, and to raise line and surface rail.

Schuylkill County

• Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad -- $700,000 to rehabilitate track in the Buck Mountain tunnel, including replacing 2,478 ties.

Westmoreland County

• Three Rivers Marine and Rail Terminal LP -- $277,088 to rehabilitate grade crossing and connection to Wheeling & Lake Erie railroad and rehabilitate track on Koppers lead mainline.

Marcellus Shale

Allegheny County

• Pittsburgh, Allegheny, McKees Rocks Railroad Co. -- $350,000 to install new turnouts, construct new track and rehabilitate existing track including crosstie replacement.

Bradford and Wyoming counties

• Lehigh Railway LLC -- $367,500 for various rail improvements and replacing the deck on Wyalusing Bridge.

Beaver County

• Youngstown & Southeastern railroad Inc. -- $339,500 to rehabilitate track from the Pennsylvania border to Darlington, Pa. and rebuild siding at NOV Tuboscope.

Mercer County

• Yourga Trucking, Inc. -- $250,000 to install a new asphalt turnout, 700 feet of embedded track and a bumping post for the end of the track.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor