Midwest to get almost $1 billion in federal passenger rail project funding

Locomotive overhauls, trackwork and major elements of Amtrak’s Chicago Hub Improvement Program (CHIP) are among the almost $1 billion in projects in the Midwest awarded federal passenger rail planning and construction grants, the Federal Railroad Administration announced on Aug. 14.

Among the 41 FY 2024-2026 Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program for Projects Not Located on the Northeast Corridor (National Railroad Partnership Program) projects chosen by the FRA are overhaul of 41 Siemens SC-44 “Charger” locomotives that have been in service since 2018-19 on state-supported routes in the Midwest, California and Pacific Northwest and funds for bridge and rail maintenance yard projects in Chicago.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation, (WisDOT) acting as lead applicant, will receive up to $140.7 million for the work to keep the locomotives in a state of good repair. WisDOT and its partner DOTs in the Midwest, plus California, Oregon and Washington, will provide a 20 percent non-Federal match.

MIPRC and the four MIPRC states who jointly own and operate the locomotives and the Siemens-built “Venture” coach fleet as the Midwest Equipment Pool (Illinois, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin), had sought funds to allow Amtrak to do these required overhauls in previous fiscal years.

“As the Charger locomotives entered mid-life stage, it has become clear in the Midwest and elsewhere that upgrades were needed to ensure safety, reliability and network resiliency,” MIPRC Chair (and Director of WisDOT's Bureau of Transit, Local Roads, Railroads and Harbors) Jennifer Murray said. “This grant will help keep the Amtrak Midwest locomotive fleet in a state of good repair.”  

Amtrak’s CHIP plan to improve access to and from Chicago Union Station – the hub of the Midwestern network – came away with several important awards. Grants to Amtrak include up to:

• $572 million for right-of-way acquisition and planning to relocate some maintenance facilities and functions from the current 14th Street Yard (just south of Chicago Union Station) further south to the Union Pacific Railroad’s Canal Street Yard, which Amtrak plans to buy from UP.
• $87 million in a separate grant for project development, final design, and construction to rehabilitate or replace approximately 17 aging viaducts, bridges, and ancillary structures at the Canal Street Yard in preparation for relocating Amtrak’s Midwest maintenance facilities.
• $37.25 million for final design and construction to rehabilitate the 110-year-old South Branch Bridge, thus bringing it into a state of good repair, and to begin environmental review and project development activities for a future replacement bridge. Rehab will include replacement of missing fasteners, defective hardware, and parts to balance and support existing machinery.

The South Branch Bridge is used by the state-supported Blue Water, Lincoln, Pere Marquette, River Runner and Wolverine routes, as well as the long-distance Chicago-Washington, D.C.-New York City Cardinal, Chicago-Boston/New York City Lake Shore Limited, Chicago-Washington, D.C.-Miami/Tampa Floridian and Chicago-San Antonio Texas Eagle routes.

Amtrak will contribute the 20 percent non-federal match for these projects, which may include funding from private sector partners and the Chicago Department of Transportation, the Illinois Department of Transportation, Metra, and Cook County.

Amtrak also will get $2.05 billion for purchasing up to 43 new trainsets to replace aging equipment in use on state-supported routes nationwide.

Grants to MIPRC states

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) was awarded up to $145 million for myriad projects along the state-owned line used by the state-supported Blue Water and Wolverine services:

• $98.4 million for trackwork on the state-owned route between Kalamazoo and Dearborn.
• $28.95 million for MDOT’s Michigan Accelerated Rail Bridge Reconstruction program to rebuild four structurally deficient bridges in Comstock Township, Sandstone Charter Township, and Superior Charter Township.
• $18 million for project development, final design, and construction to replace a 124-year-old bridge over Blackman Road in Jackson with a new structure that will be wide enough for a potential second track.

For all of these, MDOT will contribute the non-Federal match, which may include funding from Amtrak.

“The Michigan Department of Transportation is excited to be awarded $145 million in Federal Railroad Administration grants to improve the state-owned rail corridor between Kalamazoo and Dearborn that is utilized by Amtrak passenger trains,” said Peter Anastor, administrator of MDOT's Office of Rail. “Since the line was purchased by the state in 2012, MDOT has continually made improvements to this vital corridor to increase safety, speed and reliability.”

Up to $3.6 million was awarded to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) for project development toward three future highway-rail grade separations in Bucklin, La Plata, and Gorin on the BNSF line used by the Chicago-Los Angeles Southwest Chief. MoDOT will contribute a 22 percent non-Federal match, which may include funding from BNSF.

In Indiana, the city of South Bend will get up to $3.85 million for planning and project development toward the future relocation of its Amtrak station from its current location downtown to the historic Union Station . The city will contribute a 20 percent non-Federal match. South Bend is served by the Lake Shore Limited and Floridian.

Elsewhere in the Midwest, in Nebraska the Department of Transportation was awarded up to $7 million for track improvements in Iowa and Nebraska along the BNSF line used by the Chicago-Emeryville, Calif., California Zephyr, while the city of Crete was awarded up to $1.15 million to study potential improvements or closures at eight grade crossings along the same line.

And the Ohio Rail Development Corporation was awarded up to $40 million to close two grade rail crossings and build a new bridge over a section of the CSX Cincinnati Terminal Subdivision on a line used by the Cardinal.

Authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, the National Railroad Partnership Program provides funding for capital projects that reduce the state of good repair backlog, improve performance, or expand or establish new intercity passenger rail service (including privately operated intercity passenger rail service, if an eligible applicant is involved).

Midwestern awards, including those to Amtrak for work in Midwestern states, account for $997,843,729 (almost one-fifth) of the $5.3 billion made available by the FRA under this grant program.