FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 24, 2021) – Gov. Andy Beshear today announced six railroad companies will receive grants to fund multimodal freight transportation improvements in Kentucky.
Jointly administered by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) Division of Planning and Division of Right of Way and Utilities, the Kentucky Rail Crossing Improvement (KRCI) Program will fund 80 percent of the total project costs to maintain and improve public at-grade rail crossings in 10 Kentucky counties.
“Quality transportation is more than safe roads and bridges. It includes safe railways, too,” Gov. Beshear said. “Freight transportation supports our thriving economy and this funding will support key rail improvements to keep our state moving.”
Awards were issued to Norfolk Southern, CSX, Paducah and Louisville Railway, RJ Corman Railroad Group, Fredonia Valley Railroad, and Kentucky Railway Museum. The grants will fund 24 safety improvement projects, ranging from signal upgrades and new signage to removing obstructive vegetation to improve sight distance. The award recipients will provide a 20 percent local match.
“Maintaining efficient railroads is critical to ensure the safe and timely transportation of goods our railroad companies and consumers rely on,” KYTC Secretary Jim Gray said. “This infusion of funding will finance the majority of these needed projects to keep our railroad industry on track for success.”
Roughly half of the projects involve the reconstruction of existing crossings. The work involves removing the crossing and replacing it with new drainage and subgrade underneath the tracks, new ballasts and crossing panels and placing new asphalt pavement from the outer rails to the approaching roads.
When selecting grant recipients, the Cabinet examined factors such as crash history, traffic (vehicle, train, truck), physical condition, project cost and the federal railroad crossing score. One of the selected crossing reconstruction projects had average daily traffic counts as high as 9,066.
For a list of railroad crossing projects, click here.