Agreement reached for Northcoast Railroad TIGER grant

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and New Hampshire reached an agreement concerning a $1.4-million Transportation Investment Generating Economy Recovery (TIGER) 2013 grant for the New Hampshire Northcoast Rail Improvement Project, which will repair and improve sections of the rail line between Ossipee and Rochester.

 

The TIGER grant was originally awarded in September 2013. The project will repair a 42-mile section of rail to allow for 286,000-pound. rail car shipments to travel the full length of the rail corridor and improve safety and reliability while increasing the speeds of trains.

“[New Hampshire] Northcoast Railroad is an important economic link for southeastern and central New Hampshire, connecting the region to the national freight rail network with a connection to Boston at its southern portion,” stated New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan. “Industrial sector companies depend on this railroad and the repairs and upgrades made possible by this TIGER grant will directly impact existing customers and greatly assist our efforts to bring new industry to the region. Strengthening our transportation infrastructure is critical to our long-term economic growth and I thank the New Hampshire Congressional delegation for their advocacy, as well as USDOT for this critical investment that will help keep our economy moving in the right direction.”

In 2013, Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH-01) and the entire New Hampshire delegation urged then-USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood to support New Hampshire Department of Transportation’s competitive grant application for the project, which will enable the railroad to expand its freight service on the line and operate it more efficiently.

 

 

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