by Frank Corder, Magnolia Tribune
(Photo from Mississippi Export Railroad website)
Mississippi Export Railroad has been awarded a $35.5 million grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program.
The funds will support the Advancing Mississippi Export’s Resiliency, Infrastructure & Capacity Across the Network (AMERICAN) project, which will modernize and automate the 121-year-old Escatawpa River Swing Bridge in Jackson County and construct new siding, upgrade approximately ten miles of mainline track, improve ten at-grade crossings, and raise the track in flood-prone areas.
The CRISI funding for the Mississippi improvements is among 105 selected projects with a total of $2.3 billion awarded across the U.S.
U.S. DOT said the Moss Point / Helena project aligns with the selection criteria by enhancing safety, improving system and service performance, and improving reliability as the project will allow higher operating speeds, reduce derailment risk, and provide resiliency to floods.
Mississippi Export Railroad Company will contribute a 25% non-federal cost share.
It was noted that the project qualifies for the statutory set-aside for projects in Rural Areas.
Fourth District Congressman Mike Ezell (R) welcomed the news, saying in a statement Monday that Mississippi’s railroads play a critical role in connecting ports, industries, and businesses to markets across the country.
“This investment will help modernize aging infrastructure, improve safety, and strengthen the reliability of freight transportation in South Mississippi,” said Ezell, a member of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “By upgrading critical rail connections and making our infrastructure more resilient to flooding, we are supporting local industries, strengthening our supply chains, and laying the groundwork for continued economic growth along the Gulf Coast.”
Kate Bourgeois, President and CEO of Mississippi Export Railroad, said the CRISI grant funds generational infrastructure upgrades, strengthening her company’s ability to connect Gulf Coast industries to global markets.
“Our Class I partners, CN, CSX, NS and CPKC, along with the Port of Pascagoula, are critical conduits to that connectivity, and this investment will support economic development across the region,” Bourgeois said. “We thank the Federal Railroad Administration and Administrator Fink, as well as Senator Wicker, Senator Hyde-Smith, and Congressman Ezell, whose vital support helped make this vision a reality.”