Youngstown & Southeastern Line Gets $700K for Upgrades

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A $700,050 federal grant will fund upgrades for a stretch of railroad in Mahoning and Columbiana counties. 

The award represented a portion of the $13.8 million awarded for six Ohio rail systems for consolidated rail infrastructure and safety improvement programs. U.S. Sen. Rob Portman announced the grants in a news release Friday afternoon. 

Ohio Rail Development Commission’s Youngstown & Southeastern Railroad Company Mahoning Valley Revival project will rehabilitate 25 miles of mainline rail on the Class III Youngstown & Southeastern Railroad, a subsidiary of the Indiana Boxcar Corp., between Struthers and Signal, an unincorporated community in Columbiana County. 

The project will include installation of approximately 10,100 ties, as well as surfacing, switch renewal, bolt tightening and at-grade crossing improvements.

“This is great news for Ohio’s rail systems and their efforts to upgrade our infrastructure, and I applaud Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao for awarding nearly $14 million to Ohio,” Portman said in the release. “This grant funding will help provide the resources needed to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of intercity passenger and freight rail throughout Ohio.”

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.