Investing in America: Biden-Harris Administration Announces $72.8 Million in Infrastructure Funding To Improve Rail Safety, Strengthen Supply Chains, and Expand Rail in the State of Wisconsin

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced today that it has invested $72.8 million in new rail grant funding in Wisconsin. Nationally, more than $2.4 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding is being invested in 122 rail improvement projects in 41 states and Washington, D.C. These projects will make rail safer, more reliable, and more resilient, getting goods and people where they need to be quickly with fewer disruptions, lower shipping costs and less pollution.  

Administered through FRA’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program, grants being announced will benefit every region of the country, especially rural communities. Projects in this round of selections reflect the broad array of rail safety and service improvements eligible under this program, such as upgrading track, replacing or rehabilitating aging bridges, expanding rail connections at ports, adding modern locomotives to fleets, and more. The CRISI Program is also the only federal grant program prioritizing smaller, short line railroads vital to the American economy and regional supply chains.

This announcement is part of a series of investments the Biden-Harris Administration has made in nearly 300 rail projects and dozens of emerging passenger rail corridors across the country through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-funded FRA grant programs. This marks the most significant investment in American rail in more than 50 years.

“Today’s investments in our rail systems reflect the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to building a stronger, safer, and more resilient transportation network,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re funding rail infrastructure projects that create jobs and expand workforce development, reduce costs for consumers, and directly benefit communities across the country. Each project advances a future where our supply chains are stronger, passenger rail more accessible, and freight movement safer and more efficient.”

While the majority of CRISI grants directly improve rail infrastructure, CRISI investments are also supporting the rail workforce and investing in the hardworking Americans who will help maintain and operate the Nation’s rail networks well into the future. Federal funding will create new apprenticeship programs, expand training opportunities, establish partnerships with universities, and advance innovative research. For example, one grant awarded to the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen will help develop an effective strategy for integrating wayside hot box detectors to enhance safety and proactively address derailments caused by wheel and bearing failures.

“Under the Biden-Harris Administration and through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, FRA is investing more than ever in communities nationwide, reversing a half-century of federal underinvestment in America’s rail network and delivering the world-class rail our citizens deserve,” said FRA Administrator Amit Bose. “Today’s CRISI grants will enhance rail safety, better connect towns, cities, and ports, introduce more environmentally friendly locomotives, support the current rail workforce, and provide workforce development opportunities essential to the future of our industry and the national economy.”
Selected CRISI projects this round include:  

• Muskego Yard Bypass Project in Milwaukee (Up to $72,800,000)
  Wisconsin Department of Transportation
  The proposed project was selected for Final Design, right-of-way acquisition, and Construction and includes activities to update and reconfigure the existing rail and yard at the Muskego Yard Bypass. The project aligns with the selection criteria by improving system and service performance as the project will install a new two-track mainline, implement a bi-directional Centralized Traffic Control system, and replace or rehabilitate approximately five bridges, thereby imparting benefits of efficiency. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation and Amtrak will contribute the 20 percent non-Federal match. 

In addition to deploying historic funding to modernize and upgrade rail infrastructure, USDOT and FRA have taken unprecedented actions under the Biden-Harris Administration to improve rail safety. This includes finalizing new safety regulations, conducting focused safety audits, expanding a vital safety program to include workers at Class I freight railroads, and pushing freight railroads to provide guaranteed paid sick leave to all of their workers. 

The full list of Fiscal Year 2023 and 2024 CRISI project selections can be found here. Additional information on FRA’s CRISI Program is also available here.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.