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Michigan awarded $145 million in federal funds for train upgrades
The Michigan Department of Transportation will receive $145 million for rail infrastructure projects as part of a series of federal grants worth more than $5 billion nationwide, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced today.
The funds include $98 million to improve train tracks between Dearborn and Kalamazoo; $29 million to reconstruct four bridges along the Michigan line in Comstock Township, Sandstone Charter Township and Superior Charter Township; and $18 million to replace the Blackman Road Bridge in Jackson.
The Blue Water Amtrak line — which runs between Chicago and Port Huron — will also receive new trains to increase capacity.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the projects Friday.
The projects “will help make our nation’s rail network much safer because now state DOT’s across America will have the funds they need to eliminate dangerous grade crossings across the nation,” said Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) administrator David Fink in a press release.
The upgrades will be funded through the National Railroad Partnership Program, a federal project that provides funds to improve safety and performance of rail lines across the U.S.
The FRA received 103 total applications for the current funding round and selected 41 projects worth a total of $5.3 billion. Three of the projects are in Michigan alone, while the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is a collaborator on two more.
Michigan’s rail system contains about 3,600 miles of tracks, operated by 29 railroads, according to MDOT.
