PIERRE, S.D. — The South Dakota Railroad Board will support six of the eight projects which have applied for Federal Railroad Administration infrastructure grants, KELO-TV reports.
Some $58.9 million is available for projects in the state under the Special Transportation Circumstances program, for states that lack intercity passenger service or are not connected to the national rail system. The board heard pitches on the eight projects earlier this month [see “Eight projects seek federal funding …,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 11, 2023]. It is backing projects from the D&I Railroad; the Dakota, Missouri Valley & Western Railroad; the Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern; the Ringneck & Western; and the Sisseton Milbank Railroad. It is also supporting a modified version of a request from the Belle Fourche Economic Development Corp. for improvements to the Belle Fourche Industrial and Rail Park. Applications describing those projects are available here.
The board turned down requests from the South Dakota Department of Transportation for $10 million to $21.8 million to rebuild part of the state-owned Napa-Platte rail line, a largely inactive route in the southeast portion of the state; and from the City of Sioux Falls for a $12 million grade crossing separation project at BNSF’s main line on a road connecting Interstate 29 to an industrial park.
Final applications are due to the state on Dec. 6 and to the FRA on Dec. 15.
