Wednesday, May 27, 2009 (Washington, DC)

Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo today announced the award of $15 million to nine states for emergency repairs to damaged railroad infrastructure resulting from natural disasters.

Funding from the Federal Railroad Administrations (FRA) Railroad Rehabilitation and Repair Program (RRRP) will go to state Departments of Transportation to reimburse short line and regional railroads for the cost of repairs.

"Freight railroads are critical to local economies and we are committed to helping them restore rail service after a major disruption," said Szabo. "This funding will help the carriers defray repair costs and keep the trains running."

Funds awarded under the RRRP can cover up to 80 percent of the total cost of a selected project, with the remainder to be provided from non-federal sources. Grants may be used to repair bridges, signals and other infrastructure which are part of the general rail transportation system. The grant recipients are as follows:

Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
Flood repair for the Alaska Railroad $637,440
Flood repair for the Alaska Railroad $945,680

Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department
Emergency repairs to Missouri and Northern Arkansas Railroad $737,292
Illinois Department of Transportation
Flood control on the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad $569,700

Kansas Department of Transportation
Repair of flood damage to the Gorilla Subdivision on the South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad $405,702

Indiana Department of Transportation
Flood damage repair on the Indiana Southern Railroad $1,244,217

Iowa Department of Transportation
Flood damage restoration to rebuild a bridge and repair signals on the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway $6,965,163
Flood damage restoration for the Keokuk Junction Railway Yard $459,200
Replacement of the Waterloo Bridge over the Cedar River for the Iowa Northern Railway $2,174,880

Missouri Department of Transportation
Flood damage repair on Missouri & Northern Arkansas Railroad $353,600

North Carolina Department of Transportation
Repair of washouts and debris removal On the Carolina Coastal Railway $11,101

Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Repair of flood damage and washouts on the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad $354,006

Under the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009, FRA was authorized to make $20 million available for grants to repair and rehabilitate railroad infrastructure damaged in areas declared by the President as a major disaster.

The FRA intends to issue another solicitation for the remaining $5 million in funds through a Notice of Funding Availability to be published in the Federal Register that will be available on a competitive basis.