LIMA — Part of a 20-mile stretch of railway connecting Lima to Van Wert County is closer to being rehabilitated thanks to a grant announced Monday.
The $1.23 million grant was issued Thursday by the Ohio Rail Development Commission and is centered around two RJ Corman Railroad lines: the Spencerville-Elgin line and the Greenville line. The Spencerville-Elgin line runs for 20 miles, starting in Lima and ending in Elgin in southeast Van Wert County. The rehabilitation project for this and the Greenville line is estimated to cost over $2.4 million.
“By improving the rail infrastructure, we are not only positively leveraging railroad investment but also improving lines that are needed to continue to serve the customers who depend on it,” ORDC executive director Matthew Dietrich said in a statement. “This project is an excellent example of positive economic impacts while also enhancing safety.
The Spencerville-Elgin portion of the project will consist of rehabilitating six miles of the line. This will eliminate the slow orders for train traffic currently in place for that line and will restore the line’s FRA Class 2 designation for those portions.
“We are grateful for the continued partnership with the ORDC as we continue to make investments in our rail network,” RJ Corman government affairs director William Downey said in a statement. “Safety is our top priority, and these funds allow us to upgrade our infrastructure and better serve the needs of our customers as we continue to provide safe and reliable freight transportation.”
Attempts to reach the ORDC for further comment were not successful.
