Pittsburgh Construction Jobs from 11 Rail Projects

Funding for several new rail projects will help create more Pittsburgh construction jobs.

Gov. Ed Rendell recently announced that PennDOT's Rail Freight Capital Budget and Transportation Assistance Program will invest $12.9 million throughout 10 counties. The funding will be used for 11 projects that will restore or expand rail service and enhance safety.

The program is being funded through state capital bond money, which will be repaid with General fund revenues. The grants are administered by PennDOT's Bureau of Rail Freight, authorized by the General Assembly and approved by the State Transportation Commission.

"Investing in freight rail infrastructure makes businesses more competitive and pays huge economic dividends for communities," Rendell said. "These investments will help businesses safely and efficiently handle more freight which would otherwise travel by truck on our already congested highways and bridges."

The projects include:

Allegheny County – The Allegheny Valley Railroad Company will receive $1.4 million to reconstruct and replace track, replace the main line turnout, and install crossties. The Pittsburgh and Ohio Central Railroad will get $1.3 million to bring out-of-service tracks in the Scully Yard back into service, increase yard capacity, and rehabilitate the west yard and bring 1,200 feet of track on Neville Island back to service.

Allegheny and Washington counties – The Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway Company will receive $526,653 to replace the entire track structure in the Greentree and Hickory tunnels; remove and replace new ballast; install tunnel drains; and improve surface and line track.

Armstrong County – Kiski Junction Railroad Inc. will get $4.3 million to extend a spur nine miles along the Allegheny River for a total of 10 miles, providing rail service to an expanding coal mine.

Clearfield County – The River Hill Coal Company Inc. will receive $525,000 to install a new scale, purchase loading equipment, and rehabilitate 2,000 feet of track.

Mifflin County – The SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority will get $713,580 to reconstruct 1,114 feet of street running track in the Borough of Lewistown.

Montour County – The United States Gympsum will receive $1.6 million to build 10 industrial tracks at the company’s new Washingtonville site for unloading raw materials and shipping out finished Sheetrock Brand products. The work includes 26,000 feet of track, including 11 switches.

Northumberland County – The D&H Railway Company will get $793,100 to construct bulk-commodity receiving, handling and transfer infrastructure at Boyd Station.

Schuylkill County – Locust Valley Coal Company will receive $202,300 to rehabilitate track, including replacing cross ties, switch timbers, joint bars and to repair misaligned rails and three bridges.

Warren County – the Allegheny & Eastern Railroad will get $900,000 to construct a new siding; replace culverts; install new turnouts, switch ties, and cross ties; and for ditch and grading work.

Westmoreland County – The Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corporation will receive $595,000 to replace an aging, low-capacity wooden pile trestle bridge with a steel pile trestle bridge.