WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is awarding two grants to the New England Central Railroad (NECR).
The railroad will receive $960,000 with the NECR is providing $240,000 in matching funds for structural repairs to a 1860s vintage rail tunnel located in Burlington, Vt.
The repairs include removing old brick, installing tunnel liner, and improving drainage which is intended to extend the life of the tunnel by up to 20 years. The tunnel is located on a branch line of the railroad which has a critical rail interchange with the Vermont Railway that serves northern Vermont.
The second grant is in the amount of $2,746,240 to support the installation of equipment to automate the operation of the NECR swing bridge that crosses the Richelieu River near East Alburg, Vermont.
The project will improve railroad efficiency by reducing the time currently needed to manually operate the bridge and will facilitate an increase in commercial and recreational river traffic. The NECR is providing $686,560 in matching funds for the project.
