Harrisburg, PA – Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced the approval of 30 rail freight improvement projects that will enhance freight mobility while creating or sustaining 344 jobs across Pennsylvania. These investments are aligned with Governor Shapiro’s commitment to improving Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and supporting economic growth.
“Expanding and improving Pennsylvania’s rail freight network will support family-sustaining jobs and connect Pennsylvania communities to the global economy while bolstering local economic development,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “These investments will create opportunities for generations of Pennsylvanians to come and will provide key mobility across the Commonwealth.”
Pennsylvania has 65 operating railroads, which is more than any other state. PennDOT is committed to working with private rail operators and rail-served businesses to construct new rail lines and assist in maintaining and improving Pennsylvania’s roughly 5,600 miles of freight lines.
The State Transportation Commission voted to approve $55 million for the following projects through the Rail Transportation Assistance Program (RTAP) and the Rail Freight Assistance Program (RFAP).
Following is a list of the 30 approved rail freight projects with the state share:
Allegheny County:
- Allegheny Valley Railroad: $1.8 million to replace 2.33 miles of jointed rail realign track on the Allegheny Subdivision between Penn Hills Township and the City of Pittsburgh.
- Synthomer Jefferson Hills: $623,000 to rehabilitate and construct new loading/unloading equipment at four existing rail stations.
- Union Railroad: $2.6 million to replace 1,386 ties and upgrade rail on the High Grade Bridge.
- United States Steel Corporation – Clairton Works: $568,000 to replace four turnouts and replace rail on three siding tracks.
Allegheny and Washington Counties:
- Pittsburgh & Ohio Central Railroad: $2 million to construct approximately 4,800 feet of new track in the Scully Yard and rehabilitate 10,560 linear feet of track on the Arden Subdivision.
Allegheny, Washington, Fayette, and Westmoreland Counties:
- Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway: $5.8 million to rehabilitate six bridges to contribute to the long-term safety of train operations.
Berks County:
- Dyer Quarry: $498,000 to rehabilitate four yard tracks and replace up to 1,500 rail ties.
Blair County:
- Joe Krentzman & Son, Inc.: $354,000 to extend and rehabilitate a current rail siding and install a railroad car scale.
Bucks County:
- Bucks County Railroad Preservation & Restoration Corp.: $490,000 to furnish and install 4,000 new crossties to improve 17 miles of track.
- NorthPoint Development, LLC: $3.8 million to expand the Kinder Morgan terminal rail yard by adding 13,350 feet of new track and improve the current rail infrastructure.
- Riverside Industrial Complex: $1.1 million to install 4,735 track feet of newly constructed track and rehabilitate 240 track feet of track at the Riverside Industrial Complex in Bristol, PA.
Cambria and Clearfield Counties:
- RJ Corman Railroad Company Pennsylvania Lines: $2.9 million to replace 43,930 linear feet of rail on the Cresson and Cherry Tree divisions.
Centre and Mifflin Counties:
- SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority: $2 million to rehabilitate seven bridges and one culvert on the Juniata Valley Railroad and Nittany Bald Eagle Railroad.
Chester, Montgomery, Berks, and York Counties:
- East Penn Railroad, LLC: $455,000 to rehabilitate eight bridges on the Octoraro, Perkiomen, Lancaster Northern, and York branch lines.
Clearfield and Elk Counties:
- Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad, Inc.: $2.9 million to rehabilitate track on the Laurel Subdivision, including tie replacement, track surfacing, brush cutting, grade crossing rehabilitation, and installation of an equipment defect detector.
Fayette County:
- Brownsville Marine Products, LLC: $656,000 to reconstruct a rail-crane frog to safe working order.
Lawrence County:
- New Castle Industrial Railroad: $561,000 to replace bridge timbers and rail on the main track bridge over the Shenango River.
Luzerne County:
- Mericle River Road, LLC: $742,000 to construct a new mainline turnout and 2,145 feet of new truck to connect to the Luzerne & Susquehanna Railway.
- Redevelopment Authority of Luzerne County: $693,000 to rehabilitate two at-grade crossings and replace ties on two bridges.
Lycoming County:
- Shale Rail, LLC: $749,000 to replace ties, rail, ballast, and surface 2,000 feet of track at Shale Rail’s Wysox facility.
Mifflin County:
- Standard Steel, LLC: $490,000 to replace six turnouts, rehabilitate and construct 300 feet of track at the SPC facility.
Montgomery County:
- Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad, LLC: $489,000 to furnish and install 4,000 new crossties across three miles of the Stony Creek Branch and six miles of the Bethlehem Branch.
Northumberland County:
- North Shore Railroad: $1.8 million to rehabilitate and replace rail on North Shore’s mainline.
- Clark’s Feed Mills, Inc.: $2.5 million to expand rail car storage and construct supporting unloading equipment.
Philadelphia County:
- CSX Transportation, Inc.: $13.1 million to rehabilitate and improve the condition of the 25th Street Viaduct.
- Philadelphia Regional Port Authority dba PhilaPort: $454,000 to reconstruct an existing 1,300 feet of track at the Tioga Marine Terminal.
Schuylkill County:
- Lehigh Anthracite, LP: $676,000 to construct 1,200 linear feet of new track and construct unloading equipment.
Venango County:
- Webco Industries, Inc.: $1.14 million to construct a brand new rail spur and install new rail car unloading/loading equipment.
Westmoreland County:
- Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad: $1.86 million to rehabilitate 2.5 miles of rail replacing jointed rail on the Radebaugh Subdivision with welded rail.
York County:
- York Railway: $1.16 million to rehabilitate track in the Poorhouse Yard with rail and tie replacement and track surfacing.
For more information on PennDOT rail grant programs visit the department’s Rail Freight and Ports page.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Alexis Campbell, 717-783-8800 or alecampbel@pa.gov
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