Biden to spend $570M on improving railroad safety, speed
- The DOT pledged over $570 million toward rail safety projects
- The funding will be earmarked for 63 projects in 32 states
- DOT: There were over 2,000 highway-rail crossing collisions in 2022
FILE – CSX locomotives sit at CSX North Framingham Yard, on Jan. 24, 2023, in Framingham, Mass. A group of CSX conductors will soon become the first train crew employees at one of the major freight railroads to have paid sick time. CSX said Monday, April 3, 2023, that it had reached an agreement to […]
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WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — More than $570 million is going toward railroad safety projects in dozens of states, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) said on Monday.
The first round of funding aims to make more than 400 rail crossings across the U.S. safer and quicker, according to the DOT.
“Every year, commuters, residents and first responders lose valuable time waiting at blocked railroad crossings — and worse, those crossings are too often the site of collisions that could be prevented,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we’re improving rail crossings in communities across the country to save lives, time and resources for American families.”
There were more than 2,000 highway-rail crossing collisions and more than 30,000 reports of blocked crossings in 2022, according to the DOT.
The funding will go toward 63 projects in 32 states.
Some of the major improvements outlined in the announcement, and their projected costs, are below.
- Houston, Texas — West Belt Improvement Project — $36,916,200
- Pelham, Alabama — Railroad Crossing Elimination on Shelby County Road 52 — $41,766,038
- Hammond, Indiana — Governors Parkway Railroad Overpass Project — $7,029,392
- Fostoria, Ohio — Unlocking the Iron Triangle — $7,245,000
- Broward County, Florida — Broward County Sealed Corridor Project — $15,440,000
- Davenport, Iowa — South Concord Street Grade Separation — $7,756,862
