Thaindian News

FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY (BNO NEWS) – Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, announced on Wednesday that a project to rehabilitate short line railroads has been awarded with $17,551,028 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

The project is a grant from ARRA’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, which will be creating around 100 jobs.

“This project will improve the transportation infrastructure of a three-state section of Appalachia, as well as create badly needed jobs,” Gov. Beshear said. “It will also provide people in our great state with a more livable and sustainable community by alleviating congestion, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and lowering our dependence on foreign oil.”

The Commonwealth of Kentucky will be providing a $200,000 grant toward the project and the R.J. Corman Railroad Group, which has committed to hiring 100 employees for the project, will contribute an additional $3.04 million, which together will meet 20 percent of the total $16.2 million Kentucky project cost.

Approximately 200 miles of aging track will be rehabilitated, which currently serve 81 customers and carry over 28,500 outbound carloads of aluminum, sand and other goods annually, keeping more than 100,000 trucks off Kentucky roads and highways each year.

These short lines are smaller freight railroads that provide local businesses with a link to the national network of Class I railroads will allow businesses in Kentucky to access global markets in a cost effective manner.