DOT awards $25m to states for rail upgrades

The Federal Railroad Administration said it has released $25 million in grants for 23 rail improvements projects in 14 states and the District of Columbia.    The U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Railroad Administration has awarded $25 million in grants to improve safety at railroad crossings, train stations and tracks across the country.
   A total of 23 projects in 14 states and the District of Columbia received funding.
   The FRA said it received 40 eligible applications requesting $67.5 million, or three-times the $25 million that Congress allotted in the 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act that funds DOT.
   “It is vitally important that we invest in safety as rail continues to play an increasingly larger role in this country, transporting tons of freight and millions of passengers each day,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in a statement. “These grants will help address some of the improvements that are crucial to ensuring safe, reliable and efficient railroad networks.”
   FRA has requested $520 million for competitive local rail facility and safety project grants as part of President Obama’s fiscal year 2017 budget proposal.