California short-liner receives grant to improve track
Written by RT&S Staff
Three rail bridges in Moorhead, N.D., will not be complete until mid-2022.
OmniTRAX Inc., a comprehensive logistics solutions provider, reports the Stockton Terminal and Eastern Railroad (STE) was awarded a grant by the California Transportation Commission under the Short-Line Railroad Improvement Program (SLRIP) to replace and/or repair more than 4 miles of track in Stockton, Calif.
“The SLRIP grant will greatly enhance our operational efficiency and rail operations in Stockton and preserve and improve transload capacity to meet increased in demand. The project will also significantly reduce costs, emissions and truck travel in the region. We appreciate the partnership with the San Joaquin Council of Governments, which is helping us safely connect our communities and maintain a safe, efficient and environmentally friendly supply chain,” said Sergio Sabatini, president of OmniTRAX
Called the Stockton Intermodal Transload and Alternative Fuel project, the grant was proposed by San Joaquin Council of Governments and will modernize infrastructure on the STE to handle the influx of alternative diesel fuels that comply with California low carbon fuel standards. The grant will fund a safety modernization resurfacing and rail tie replacement program that removes deteriorating 100-year-old rail, rehabilitates degraded switches for essential connection points and replaces six grade-crossing surfaces in the track work limits. Work is expected to be completed during the 2021 calendar year.
“The Stockton Intermodal Transload and Alternative Fuel project will eliminate 1,302 tons of CO2 emissions and 2 tons of NOx emissions each year, while dramatically improving the safety and performance of the STE operation. Without this project, there would be higher transportation costs for California consumers and more congested corridors on highways and regional arterials throughout San Joaquin County,” said Andrew Chesley, executive director/APCO of the San Joaquin Council of Governments. “Our partnership with OmniTRAX and the STE is a great example of what a public-private partnership is designed to accomplish.”
SLRIP provides funds to short-line railroad infrastructure projects intended to improve freight mobility, volume thresholds and support modern rail freight traffic and the communities and industries they serve throughout California. The $1.8 million grant to the STE covers half the project cost, with the remainder coming from OmniTRAX.
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