The North Carolina Department of Transportation has awarded $16.3 million in grants to improve freight rail infrastructure across the state, supporting projects on 12 short-line railroads and at the Port of Morehead City.
The projects will upgrade more than 95 miles of track and improve eight rail bridges and culverts. Work includes continuous welded rail installation, track and corridor rehabilitation, grade-crossing upgrades, bridge repairs, and port rail improvements. A major project will upgrade 30 miles of track on the Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway between Charlotte and Oakboro.
The funding comes from NCDOT’s Freight Rail & Rail Crossing Safety Improvement (FRRCSI) program. Participating railroads and the North Carolina Ports Authority are providing matching investments. Combined public and private funding totals $41.5 million. Several projects also leverage matching grants from the Federal Railroad Administration.