RALEY, North Carolina (WNCN) — The North Carolina Department of Transportation has been awarded $12 million to improve rail infrastructure across the state, according to a news release sent Wednesday.
The grant is from the department’s Freight Rail and Railroad Crossing Safety Improvement Program. This program supports the health, safety and performance of rail infrastructure statewide.
The Freight Railway and Level Crossing Safety Improvement Program was created in 2013 by the NC General Assembly.
The grant is matched with rail investments to contribute approximately $24 million to improving rail infrastructure statewide.
The project will help upgrade 52 railroad bridges and approximately 123 miles of track.
Grants will be awarded to:
- Aberdeen Carolina and Western Railway: $3.5 million to improve bridges, build siding, and upgrade railroad tracks on the main corridors (Cavalrus, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Moore, and Stanley counties)
- Aberdeen and Rockfish Railway: $536,908 for track upgrades along the Moore County Highway Corridor
- Alexander Railway Co., Ltd..: $403,995 for track upgrades along the Iredel County arterial corridor and $496,000 for track upgrades along the Alexander County arterial corridor.
- Atlantic and Western Railway: $647,985 for Lee County Bridge Improvements and Railroad Upgrades
- Blue Ridge and Southern Railroad: $1.8 million to improve bridges and upgrade tracks at Canton and Skyland offices (Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson and Jackson counties)
- Carolina Coastal Railroad: $1.1 million for bridge and track improvements on the Belhaven, Plymouth and Wilson branches (Beaufort, Nash, Pitt and Wilson counties)
- Charlotte Western Railroad: $511,032 to build two rail sidings on Gaston County’s main corridor
- Chesapeake and Albemarle Railroad: $403,863 for bridge improvements and track upgrades along the main line and the Pasquotank and Vulcan Reed Branches (Perkimans County)
- Great Smoky Mountains Railroad: $1 million for bridge improvements and track upgrades along the main corridor (Cherokee, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties)
- North Carolina and Virginia Railroad: $415,572 for bridge improvements and track upgrades along the Main Line, Northampton, Bertie, Hartford Branch (Hartford and Northampton Counties)
- Raleigh and Fayetteville Railroad: $805,000 for bridge improvements and track upgrades in Fayetteville Subdivisions (Cumberland, Harnett, and Wake Counties)
- Wilmington Terminal Rail: $574,914 for mainline and Wilmington Yards track upgrades in New Hanover County.
