Western Transportation Institute awarded $6.4M grant for railway workforce development in Montana

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The U.S. Department of Transportation recently awarded the Western Transportation Institute (WTI) at Montana State University (MSU) a $6.4 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program grant for statewide workforce development in the railway sector.

“The Western Transportation Institute is a national leader in transportation workforce development,” Alison Harmon, MSU vice president for research and economic development, said. “This grant further solidifies WTI’s leadership position in rural and tribal-focused transportation development.”

WTI will use funding for research and activities that build the rail workforce. The focus will be on increasing faculty, student and youth engagement with rail-related topics and skills.

The initiative’s goals are to help faculty and teachers expand their understanding of rail topics; improve coordination between industry, labor, economic development and education sectors; strengthen local talent pipelines; and expose more students to rail-focused topics early in their careers.

Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority, the California State University at Long Beach, and the University of Memphis are MSU’s project partners. The partners will contribute the grant’s required 20 percent non-federal matching funds, bringing total funding to more than $8 million.

“We look forward to working with our partners on this exciting project,” Kelvin Wang, WTI executive director, said.