Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway, a North Carolina short line whose largest customers include poultry companies Perdue and Mountaire Farms, has been awarded a $19.9 million federal grant to rebuild track in Montgomery and Stanly counties.
The award comes through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program, the railroad said in a release announcing the grant. The grant supports a $41 million project, and the railroad and the North Carolina Department of Transportation will cover the 52% non-federal share.
The Federal Railroad Administration lists the award at up to $19.98 million in its project selections for the program, one of 105 projects sharing about $2.34 billion.
"A healthy rail network is critical to take freight off of our nation's highways, and we thank the FRA and USDOT for supporting projects like ours," said Anthony Menzies, CEO of the railroad.
What the money buys
The project will replace rail laid in the early to mid-1900s with about 30 miles of continuous welded rail. According to FRA, the work also includes bridge rehabilitation and modernized crossing signals.
The bigger change is capacity. FRA said the upgrades will raise the track to FRA Class 3 standards, increase maximum train speeds, reduce derailment risk and allow the track to carry 286,000-pound railcars.
Feed traffic at stake
For feed and grain readers, the customer list is the story. Perdue and Mountaire, which the railroad said feed more than 8 million chickens a day and support more than 150,000 jobs, are among its largest customers. Heavier, faster track bears directly on how reliably feed ingredients can reach those operations by rail.
The line also serves Charlotte Pipe, which moved its pipe foundry from downtown Charlotte to Stanly County along the railroad, an investment of nearly half a billion dollars, according to the release.
Sen. Ted Budd said the upgrades will let North Carolina's rail network handle heavier loads at higher speeds.
"Upgrading North Carolina's rail infrastructure to handle heavier loads and increasing speed will ensure products can come and go quicker and more efficiently, helping our state continue to drive our nation's economy forward," Budd said.
State partnership
The railroad credited its partnership with the NCDOT Rail Division, which helped develop the grant application. The project also drew support from Sens. Budd and Thom Tillis, Reps. Mark Harris, Richard Hudson, Alma Adams and Brad Knott, and freight customers.
"Investments like this help local industries move goods more efficiently and position communities for continued economic growth," said Jason Orthner, director of the NCDOT Rail Division.
Harris said the project will improve safety and strengthen freight transportation in Stanly and Montgomery counties. FRA said the project qualifies for the program's set-aside for rural areas.
The release did not give a construction start date or timeline for completing the rail work.
