The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced this week that the Washington State Department of Transportation has been selected to receive a $72.8 million Fiscal Year 2022 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) grant for capital improvements on the PCC short-line railroad. State funding from the Move Ahead Washington transportation package, as well as local and private contributions, will bring the total project budget to $112 million. The project includes rehabilitation of critical sections of the railroad benefitting Adams, Grant, Lincoln, Spokane, and Whitman counties.
The Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) and the Washington Grain Commission have been active in advocating for additional funding to address badly need repairs on the shorelines. WAWG Past President Howard McDonald and Executive Director Michelle Hennings were among other stakeholders that attended a press conference at the HighLine Grain facility in Cheney on Sept. 28.