L.B. Foster Company Pittsburgh, Pa., was awarded a $5.3-million contract by the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) to supply 5,561 tons of rail for the Downeaster-Portland North Project. NNEPRA is using a $35-million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help fund the project's 26.4-mile track rehabilitation and expansion between Portland and Brunswick, Maine. The new Downeaster line will offer improved Amtrak service within the area and south to Boston.

Four shipments of 115 RE standard continuous welded rail are being delivered by L.B. Foster's company-owned weld train to the Maine project in lengths up to 1,600 feet between July and October 2010. "The convenience of our own weld train helps to expedite deliveries and keep the Downeaster project on schedule," said Chris Leeth, L.B. Foster Columbia City, Ind., plant manager.

The rail is manufactured in 240-foot lengths and then welded into the 1,600-foot continuous strings by Steel Dynamics, Inc., at their Continuous Welded Rail Products facility in Columbia City, Ind. "SDI is working closely with L.B. Foster to provide superior quality rail to the jobsite within an ambitious timeframe of only three months," notes Paul Kotsenas, manager - rail and special products, Steel Dynamics. L.B. Foster is coordinating the shipment of 285,600 total feet of continuous welded rail from the Steel Dynamics mill and managing the off-loading at the Maine jobsite.

Construction of the Downeaster-Portland North Project began in July 2010 and is expected to be complete by year's end 2012.