Senator Collins Announces Nearly $17 Million for Railroad Improvements Throughout Maine

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, announced that the Springfield Terminal Railway Company has been awarded a total of $16,876,760 for infrastructure upgrades and rail crossing safety improvements.  This funding has been awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program.

“This investment will support important infrastructure improvements to increase the safety, efficiency, and reliability of freight rail in Penobscot, Somerset, Waldo, and Kennebec counties,” said Senator Collins.  “Through my travels around the state, I’ve seen firsthand the positive effects of investing in our railroads to help manufacturers and farmers ship their products to market and support jobs.”

As Chairman of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Collins successfully included $325 million for the CRISI program in the FY2020 Transportation Appropriations bill last December. Through this project, Springfield Terminal Railway Company will replace approximately 75 miles of rail, install 55,000 ties, upgrade 72 grade crossings, and strengthen 5 bridges in Maine between Waterville and Mattawamkeag.  The CRISI program invests in much-needed infrastructure in rural America. By directing at least 25 percent of available funds towards rural communities, the Department is able to safely connect and upgrade rural America’s rail infrastructure.

Since 2009, when Senator Collins became a member of the Appropriations Committee, she has secured more than $742 million in competitive grants for the State of Maine. 

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