The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation on Tuesday announced that it has awarded $5.2 million to a rail capacity expansion project in West Memphis.
The project includes installation of new yard track and new sidings for the West Memphis Base Railroad, owned by Jaguar Transport Holdings LLC of Joplin, Missouri. The project aligns with grant selection criteria by improving system and service performance and increasing capacity of a short line that’s approaching its traffic cap, the FRA said in a news release.
Jaguar will contribute a 20% non-federal match to the project.
The West Memphis Base Railroad is a three-mile branch line track that allows Union Pacific to service customers in the Port of West Memphis. The line was rebuilt in 2015 through a $6.5 million discretionary grant awarded by the Department of Transportation. Funds were utilized to replace road crossings, replace railroad ties, and build a bulk transfer facility terminal.
The latest grant is a portion of more than $2.4 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding being invested in 122 rail improvement projects in 41 states and Washington, D.C. The projects will make rail safer, more reliable and more resilient, which will result in fewer disruptions, lower shipping costs and less pollution, according to the release.
Other projects in this round of selections include track upgrades, replacement or rehabilitation of aging bridges and the addition of modern locomotives to fleets.
“Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re funding rail infrastructure projects that create jobs and expand workforce development, reduce costs for consumers, and directly benefit communities across the country,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.” Each project advances a future where our supply chains are stronger, passenger rail more accessible, and freight movement safer and more efficient.”
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