WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded a
$6,868,768 grant to the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) through the
Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety
Improvements (CRISI) program. This funding will support the construction of a
new track and the extension of yard tracks in the Wheeling Lake Erie Railway
(WLE) Spencer Yard in Spencer, Ohio. The new layout will eliminate reversing
movements for trains and expand overall capacity which will save an estimated
23 hours of switching time per week.
“When our communities have up-to-date infrastructure, it
helps them grow and supports local jobs,” said Brown. “This project will
have a significant economic impact on Spencer and across Ohio, and expand our
rail capacity to help speed up supply chains.”
The CRISI program invests in rail infrastructure grants to provide
communities with greater accessibility to reliable and efficient rails across
the state, while also improving safety measures for freight and passenger
trains.
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