The federal government is handing out $2.4 billion in railroad grants to help pay for 122 projects nationwide with more than half of the money going to smaller railroads.
The grants announced Tuesday by the Federal Railroad Administration will go to projects across 41 states and Washington, D.C. Most of the money will go to track and bridge upgrades. But some of the grants will be used to bolster training and explore cleaner-burning alternatives to the diesel railroads have long relied on. Some small railroads will also get help upgrading to more efficient locomotives.
Much of the money comes from the 2021 infrastructure law that President Joe Biden championed. Last year, the administration handed out $1.4 billion in these rail grants.
Yeah, that’s about what the Broadway tunnel is going to cost for the Skytrain extension in Vancouver.
Edit: Though of course an urban tunnel cut down an extremely busy street is worst-case scenario. That money would probably buy you a lot more rail elsewhere.
The Broadway corridor has possibly the busiest transit line in North America and the per-passenger cost will be quite low, when it’s finished.