Wolf Administration Invests in Rail Infrastructure, Supporting Business Development and 200 Jobs Statewide

Today, Governor Tom Wolf announced the approval of 26 rail freight improvement projects that will enhance freight mobility while creating or sustaining more than 200 jobs across Pennsylvania.  

“Investing in our states rail system creates jobs and supports efficient freight travel,” said Gov. Wolf. “These investments help us build a world-class infrastructure system and support the business community.”  

The State Transportation Commission voted to approve $31.3 million for the projects through the Rail Transportation Assistance Program (RTAP) and the Rail Freight Assistance Program (RFAP). 

Pennsylvania has 65 operating railroads, which is more than any other state. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (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.  

Following is a list of 26 approved rail freight projects with the state share: 

Adams and Cumberland Counties: 

• Gettysburg & Northern Railroad — $1.5 million to replace approximately 2,600 ties and 3,315 feet of rail on its mainline and improve three at-grade crossings 

Allegheny County:  

• Union Railroad Company — $700,000 to replace approximately 500 bridge ties and 700 feet of rail on the first phase of their low-grade bridge project 
• Union Railroad Company — $1 million to repair the Port Perry Bridge by replacing the floor beams and bridge stringers 

Berks County:  

• Redevelopment Authority of the County of Berks — $991,250 to construct approximately 1,200 feet of yard tracks at their Boyertown Transload Facility 
• Dyer Quarry — $192,150 to expand the locomotive garage to store their locomotives and re-align the track connecting the garage 

Bradford and Wyoming Counties:  

• Lehigh Railway, LLC — $506,100 to replace approximately 4,900 rail ties. 

Bucks and Chester Counties: 

• East Penn Railroad, LLC — $500,500 to improve track conditions by replacing approximately 4,500 ties on the Wilmington Northern line and 2,000 ties on the Quakertown line 

Clearfield and Cambria Counties:  

• RJ Corman Railroad — $3 million to replace approximately 7,500 ties and 74,000 feet of rail on worn areas of its Cherry Tree and Cresson subdivisions 

Clinton County:  

• South Avis Realty Inc. — $391,461 to replace ties and raise, line, and surface its industrial park tracks 

Delaware County:  

• CSX Transportation — $8.4 million to replace a tunnel to permit routing of double-stack container and multi-level auto rack traffic to/from Port of Philadelphia 

Elk, McKean, and Warren Counties:  

• Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad, Inc. — $700,000 to replace approximately 44,000 ft. of rail and 2,500 ties and surface the line to maintained 286,000 weight capacity and improve safety 

Fayette County: 

• P and S Railyard — $227,658 to construct loading and unloading equipment and raise its track to accommodate the transload of materials 

Lackawanna, Monroe, and Wayne Counties:  

• Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad — $1.3 million to construct a 3,900-foot siding to expand capacity and replace approximately 7,440 feet of rail and 1,550 ties 

Lawrence County:  

• New Castle Industrial Railroad, Inc. — $262,500 to construct a new 3,200-foot siding to expand its main line track capacity accommodating increased interchange traffic with CSX and NS railroads 

Luzerne County:  

• Redevelopment Authority of Luzerne County — $276,500 to replace approximately 1,500 ties and surface 5 miles of track 

McKean and Venango Counties:  

• Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad — $4.7 million to replace three thru truss bridges and rehabilitate two abutments on a thru-girder bridge 

Mifflin County:  

• SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority — $282,245 to finish the work of phase II of the rehabilitation of approximately 1,550 feet of track on its West Park branch 

Montgomery County:  

• Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad — $483,000 to replace approximately 6,000 ties on its Stony Creek branch and Bethlehem branch. 

Northumberland County: 

• Boyd Station — $2.6 million to expand its rail infrastructure and construct four new tracks and install unloading equipment 

Somerset County: 

• Corsa Coal Corporation — $246,434 to rehabilitate approximately 10 miles of track from its Coleman Junction to the Cambria Plant 

Union County: 

• Winfield Storage — $130,900 to rehabilitate approximately 400 feet of track and build an unloading pit and conveyor to transload the agricultural products from rail to truck 

Venango County: 

• Oil Creek Titusville Lines, Inc — $140,000 to extend a passing siding by 1,000 feet improving its operations  

Westmoreland County: 

• Three Rivers Marine & Rail Terminals, LLC — $176,146 to replace approximately 600 ties, two switches, and surface 800 feet of track 

Wyoming County: 

• Procter & Gamble Paper Products Company — $246,886 to realign its tracks and replace a turnout to improve its operations and safety 

York County: 

• York Railway Company — $2.1 million to replace 1.2 miles of jointed rail with CWR rail including the rehabilitation of seven turnouts and 10 public grade crossings 

For more information on PennDOT rail grant programs visit the Doing Business tab and click on Rail Freight and Ports.