$27 million grant awarded for Kansas railway

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-KS, announced the Kansas Department of Transportation was awarded $27 million for upgrades to the South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad, utilized by rural customers across Kansas to transport crops, minerals, chemicals, steel and other products across the country. This funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program.

Last month, Sen. Moran spoke with FRA Administrator Ronald Batory in support of this project and also wrote a letter of support last October. This grant will help replace the current rail with heavier rails that can accommodate trains moving at faster speeds and carrying a higher capacity. Additionally, these changes will help enhance safety, increase efficiency and reduce fuel usage.

“Farmers and businesses that have made their homes in rural communities rely on rail transportation to move their products to markets around the state and country,” said Moran. “This grant will allow the South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad to modernize their railways, increasing the speed of transportation and permitting heavier shipments to be moved across the region. I’m excited for the new economic opportunities this grant will afford our farmers and manufacturers in rural Kansas.”