Northern Lines Railway, an Anacostia Rail Holdings company (ARH), has been awarded up to $1.3 million in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program to fund the rehabilitation of approximately 25 miles of track in the St. Cloud region of Minnesota.
Planned improvements include replacing deteriorated ties and correcting track surface and alignment defects.
“Investing in our rail infrastructure is essential to maintaining safe, reliable service for our customers and the communities we serve,” says James McDonald, general manager of Northern Lines Railway. “This federal funding will help us address critical track conditions, reduce derailment risk, and improve the reliability and capacity of our network. We appreciate the support that makes these important infrastructure improvements possible.”
Key takeaways:
· The work is designed to enhance rail safety, improve system and service performance, reduce derailment risk, support the continued safe movement of hazardous materials, increase freight capacity, and improve the overall condition of the railroad’s infrastructure.
· Northern Lines Railway will contribute a 35% non-federal cost share toward the project.
· Northern Lines Railway connects Minnesota’s lumber, granite, cement, agricultural, building product, and manufacturing businesses with North America via efficient, environmentally friendly freight rail service.
· It operates and maintains 25 miles of BNSF-owned track from St. Cloud, Minn., interchanging 10,000 annual carloads with BNSF for points throughout North America.
