Pinsly railroad Chesapeake and Indiana Railroad Company announced it will receive $6.8 million in Federal Railroad Administration grants to improve Northwest Indiana Rail connectivity and expansion.
The funding comes from the FRA’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program and will combine with a 30 percent non-federal match to fund the CKIN Northwest Indiana Rail Connectivity and Expansion Project (NICE Project). That project will replace ties, rehabilitate freight rail bridges, renew at-grade crossings and construct one mile of new siding.
“This investment is great news for northwest Indiana and will help strengthen our state’s rail infrastructure, improve connectivity, and support economic growth,” U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) said. “Reliable freight rail service is essential to Indiana’s manufacturers, farmers, and businesses. I was proud to support this project and look forward to seeing the benefits it brings to Hoosier communities.”
CKIN provides freight service in LaPorte County, Ind., across 28 miles of track that connects grain elevators, agricultural producers, and rural industries to the nation rail network. Pinsly Railroad company, its parent organization, is a short line railroad holding company that owns 10 short line railroads across the country: Camp Chase Railway; Chesapeake and Indiana Railroad Company; Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad; Georgiana & Andalusia Railroad; Grenada Railroad; Hondo Railway; Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad Company; North Florida Industrial Railroad; Pioneer Valley Railroad; and Vermilion Valley Railroad Company.