Amtrak
has just been allocated almost $126 million in funding from the Federal
Railroad Administration's Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety
Improvements (CRISI) competitive grant program for the fiscal year 2023-2024. Numerous
Amtrak partners also received fresh financial support that promises to help enhance
the safety, efficiency and reliability of Amtrak services while supporting the
expansion of intercity passenger rail.
“These grants will
directly support many Amtrak priorities, including strengthening our workforce,
improving reliability, increasing service and advancing an important piece of
the Chicago Hub Improvement Program as we work to double Amtrak ridership nationwide
by 2040,” said Amtrak CEO
Stephen Gardner. “I want to thank the Biden-Harris Administration,
Congress, and our state, host and commuter partners for supporting the
Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) which made these significant
grants possible.”
“This week’s CRISI
grants are part of a series of unprecedented rail investments under the
Biden-Harris Administration to improve and expand America’s rail networks,
including our passenger rail network. CRISI grants will benefit several Amtrak
routes that riders rely on every day and potential future corridors, with
millions also supporting Amtrak’s current and future workforce,” said FRA
Administrator Amit Bose. “Under the Biden-Harris Administration and through the
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, FRA has announced funding for 300 rail projects
nationwide—the most significant investment in American rail in more than 50
years. We look forward to our continued work with Amtrak and State partners to
deliver the world-class passenger rail our citizens deserve.”
The CRISI funding
that’s being routed to Amtrak will benefit six specific projects that impact
more than two dozen states:
- Wolverine and
Blue Water Capacity Enhancement (up to $8.38 million)
Part of the
Chicago Hub Improvement Program, this project will enhance capacity along a
19-mile, mostly single-tracked segment of Amtrak’s Michigan Line, improving
service reliability for the Blue Water and Wolverine routes connecting Michigan
and Chicago, as well as Norfolk Southern freight trains.
- Grade Crossing
Shunt Enhancement Safety Project (up to $58.8 million)
Funding will be
used to procure and install Onboard Shunt Enhancement (OSE) devices for 443
locomotives and 192 cab cars on the nationwide Amtrak-operated fleet, enhancing
grade crossing activation reliability and ensuring continued safety protection across
Amtrak’s nationwide fleet.
- Seligman Sub
Efficiency Improvements Project (up
to $30.24 million)
This project
includes the acquisition of right-of-way and the installation of new
infrastructure to reduce congestion on a heavily trafficked rail corridor in
western Arizona where Amtrak’s Southwest Chief operates. Together,
these improvements will reduce congestion and improve efficiency for both passenger
and freight rail operations.
- Mechanical
Craft Workforce Development Apprenticeship Training Program (up to $14.4 million)
This will fund a
three-year continuation of Amtrak’s Mechanical Apprenticeship Program for 60
apprentices, intended to strengthen Amtrak’s skilled mechanical craft workforce
responsible for maintaining its fleet of trains.
- City of
Chester, Pennsylvania High-Security Fence Project (up to $7.77 million)
This project consists
of installing high-security steel fencing along a segment of the Northeast
Corridor (NEC) to improve safety for communities in a high-risk area of
Chester, Pennsylvania.
- Roadway
Equipment Repairmen Training Program (up to $6.4 million)
This funding will
support the implementation of a Roadway Equipment Repairmen Training Program,
designed to attract new workers and offer continuing education for repairmen
presently employed in Wilmington, Delaware and Groton, Connecticut.
Amtrak has also
backed several critical projects submitted by partners and other entities,
which received funding that will likewise support the Amtrak network and its
customers, including:
- Muskego Yard
Bypass Project - Wisconsin
Department of Transportation
- Replacement of
the Livingston Avenue Movable Rail Bridge - New York State Department of Transportation
- Springfield
Rail Improvements - City
of Springfield, Illinois
- Carolinian and
Piedmont Passenger and Freight Improvements Project - North Carolina Railroad Company
- Coastal Rail
Infrastructure Resiliency Project - Orange
County Transportation Authority
This marks the
second round of CRISI grants funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs
Act (IIJA), continuing a significant commitment to improving the nation's rail
infrastructure. Just last week, Amtrak President Roger Harris participated in a
groundbreaking ceremony for the Gulf Coast Corridor Improvement Project, also
attended by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Mobile Mayor Sandy
Stimpson, FRA Administrator Amit Bose, representatives from the Southern Rail
Commission and other local leaders. That project was supported by a previous $178
million grant that was part of the first round of CRISI grants, funded by the
IIJA and announced late last year.
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