Wolf Administration Announces New Rail Projects That Will Create, Retain 48,000 Jobs Through State Investment

Wolf Administration Announces New Rail Projects That Will Create, Retain
48,000 Jobs Through State Investment

5/12/2016-HARRISBURG

An estimated 9,200 jobs will be created and more than 39,000 will be
retained
over the next five years due to thirty-one rail projects being made
possible by
two PennDOT-managed grant programs.

"Pennsylvania has the most railroads in the country and these make up a
vital
component of our economic and transportation activities," said Governor Tom

Wolf. "These investments underscore our role in supporting jobs and
economies
across the state."

The State Transportation Commission (STC) voted today to approve $36
million
for 15 projects through the Rail Transportation Assistance Program (RTAP)
and
16 projects through the Rail Freight Assistance Program (RFAP). RTAP is a
capital budget grant program funded with bonds and RFAP is underwritten
through
the new Multimodal Fund, created by Act 89.

Act 89 is a far-reaching transportation program that clears the way for
significant investments in all transportation modes.

For more information on rail in Pennsylvania visit www.penndot.gov.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Rich Kirkpatrick or Erin Waters-Trasatt, 717-783-8800
Jeff Sheridan, 717-783-1116

Following is a by-county list of approved rail freight projects under the
programs with the state share:

RTAP Projects:

Allegheny County:
• CSX Transportation Inc.-- $3 million to construct new main lead track,
crossovers, turnouts, and derails to allow intermodal trains to pull off
the
McKees Rocks mainline to serve the Pittsburgh Intermodal Terminal.
• Pittsburgh and Ohio Central Railroad -- $420,000 to install 2,650 feet of

track and one new turnout in the Scully Yard.
• Union Railroad Company -- $3.4 million to repair and rehabilitate the
East
Pittsburgh Viaduct, including concrete repairs, structure drainage
corrections,
a 1,600-foot passing siding and adding a new walkway and handrails.



Allegheny and Washington Counties: Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway Co. -- $1.2

million to install nearly 20 track miles of continuous welded rail on the
railway's Pittsburgh subdivision.

Butler County: Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad Inc. -- $3.6 million to
improve
the Butler Yard and shop tracks as well as yard tracks the company leases,
as
well as restoring a crossover connection and repairing eight bridge
structures
on its northern subdivision.

Carbon County: Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad -- $5 million to
construct a new bridge across the Lehigh River and approximately 1,200 feet
of
new track related to the construction of the new bridge.

Centre, Columbia, Lycoming and Northumberland Counties: SEDA-COG Joint Rail

Authority -- $3.5 million to upgrade five bridges and replace one bridge.

Chester County: East Penn Railroad LLC -- $665,000 for turnouts, rail,
ties,
resurfacing and rebuilding a 2,000-foot siding, as well as replacing 3,800
mainline ties, 110 mainline switch timbers, surfacing five mainline
turnouts
and 18,750 feet of mainline track.

Dauphin County: Steelton and Highspire Railroad -- $2 million to construct
and
rehabilitate 13,026 track feet and 22 turnouts serving the Durabond pipe
plant,
Chemtron weld plant, Arcelor-Mittal's interchange loading area, and
connecting
track to Norfolk Southern's interchange as well as Steelton & Highspire
Railroad's main yard.

Fayette County:
• D&I Silica -- $1.3 million to extend the switching lead track and two
unloading pit yard tracks, replace track and relocate a turnout to create a

yard for operational flexibility.
• Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad Company -- $2 million to install five
yard
tracks, and a runaround track to improve Bowest Yard.

Lackawanna County: Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority --
$630,000 to install 9,000 new ties on the Carbondale mainline track.

McKean County:
• American Refining Group Inc. -- $1.6 million to construct 50 feet of
track,
rehabilitate 1,400 feet of track, one turnout and two crossings, as well as

modify six existing loading tracks.
• Western New York PA Railroad Company LLC -- $500,000 to install 7,500
crossties, reconstruct two crossings, and track surfacing.

Westmoreland County: Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corporation
–
Nearly $1.1 million to replace existing rail and steel components on the
Radebaugh Subdivision Rail Relay.


RFAP Projects:

Allegheny County: Leetsdale Industrial Corporation -- $299,862 to construct
two
new spurs and raise, line and surface track.

Beaver County:
• Middleton Properties West LLC -- $633,711 to rehabilitate 4,800 feet of
track
and construct 2,700 feet of new track.
• Pennsylvania Southwestern Railroad -- $535,610 to rehabilitate five
tracks, a
pit track and a turnout.

Berks, Lancaster and York Counties: East Penn Railroad LLC -- $560,000 to
rehabilitate the Lancaster Northern and York Line, including tie
replacement
and resurfacing.

Blair County: The Everett Railroad Company -- $360,150 to replace 4,000
linear
feet of rail, 1,200 ties, one public grade crossing and surface two miles
of
track.

Bradford and Wyoming Counties: Lehigh Railway LLC -- $292,713 to install a
runaround track at ROCK station and install five rail flange lubricators
along
Lehigh Railway's mainline.

Centre County: SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority -- $298,232 to rehabilitate
the
Robinson Lane track including replacing one turnout, installing culvert
boxes
and drainage pipes, surfacing, as well as deck timber and bridge planking
deck
replacement.

Delaware County: Consolidated Rail Corporation -- $259,748 to replace three

existing railroad diamonds.

Lackawanna County: Kane Warehousing Inc. -- $227,500 to construct a
1,000-foot
track spur and one turnout.

Lackawanna and Wayne Counties: The Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad Company
Inc. --
$690,900 to repair the Delaware-Lackawanna railroad bridge over the west
branch
of the Lehigh River, including wingwall and backwall restoration, bridge
seat
cleaning, resurfacing and re-establishment of original bridge elevation.

Lancaster County: Alumax Mill Products Inc. -- $250,000 to construct a
1,500-foot double rail spur including two new turnouts.

Mercer County: Wheatland Tube Company -- $262,500 to construct two
industrial
spur tracks, two turnouts and a loading/unloading pad.

Montgomery County: Mittal Steel USA Railways Inc. -- $312,550 to repair a
310-foot stone masonry retaining wall, improve 1,085 feet of track and
install
two turnouts.

Schuylkill County: Reading Anthracite Company -- $700,000 to reconstruct
grade
crossings and improve drainage.

Union County: Lewisburg & Buffalo Creek Railroad Corporation -- $217,000 to

repair a stone masonry box culvert and install a 60-inch steel pipe south
of
the existing structure.

Westmoreland County: Three Rivers Marine Rail Terminal LP -- $133,945 to
rehabilitate mainline track including replacing crossties, bolts and bridge

timber, surfacing and installing ballast.

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