SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — The Maine Department of Transportation and Pan Am Railways have been awarded a 17 million dollar federal grant to improve their 75-mile track from Waterville to North Yarmouth.
Pan Am will match the federal grant for a budget total of over $35 million.
The money will go towards installing 37 miles of newly welded rail, replacing 25 mainline stretches, reconstructing grade crossings, track signal improvements, bridge deck safety enhancements and more. The project summary can be found here.
The Maine DOT and Pan Am are among the many recipients of more than $326 million awarded by the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) and the Special Transportation Circumstances Program.
Senator Collins is the Chairman of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee and worked to secure the grant for Maine.
“I am delighted to announce that the State of Maine will receive an investment of more than $17 million to make important improvements to this rail line in central and southern Maine, increasing the corridor’s safety, efficiency, and reliability," Collins said in a press release last month.
“In my travels throughout Maine, I’ve seen firsthand the positive effects of investing in our railroads to improve safety and boost our economy. Enhancing the rail connection between manufacturers and the forest products industry and their markets can create a competitive advantage for Maine, helping to create jobs in rural parts of our state.”
The nationwide grant will fund 45 projects in 29 states according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), who announced the fund recipients on June 12.