$18.8M awarded to improve Delmarva rail infrastructure
Delaware’s congressional delegation of Sen. Tom Carper, Sen. Chris Coons and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester, along with Delaware Department of Agriculture Secretary Michael Scuse, announced an $18,803,354 award from the Department of Transportation to Delmarva Central Railroad to upgrade its nearly century-old rail infrastructure.
Delmarva Central Railroad operates 188 miles of track that form the primary rail corridor through the Delmarva Peninsula, providing additional shipping options for rural companies and farmers. In October 2019, the delegation members wrote a joint letter of support to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao.
The Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement Program grant will be used along with Delmarva Central Railroad’s $29.4 million investment to upgrade three large, aging moving rail bridges – the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Bridge, Nanticoke River Bridge and the Pocomoke River Cassatt Bridge. The investments will also upgrade public rail crossings and the main rail line.
Improving the railroad bridges supports a critical flow of freight on the Delmarva Peninsula, connecting many rural areas in southern Delaware, Maryland and the Eastern Shore of Virginia to the national rail network, supporting major industries and regional employers.
