Grant will help build bridges, but not to bring passenger service to QC: Rail director [Video]

Railroad grants from the federal government will help build bridges in the Quad Cities region, but they will not support the advent of passenger service in the area, according to the executive director of the High Speed Rail Alliance.

Iowa railroads and manufacturers have received $97 million in federal funding to replace outdated transportation infrastructure, construct new bridges and support the locomotive industry in Iowa and parts of Illinois, according to a news release from Sen. Chuck Grassley’s (R-Iowa) office.

The U.S. Department of Transportation will administer the awards through its Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program, which is funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). (For more about CRISI, visit here.)

“Iowa’s rail system is vital to our state’s local economy,” said Grassley, who supported the act. “This federal investment will enhance railroad safety and manufacturing, while opening up greater opportunities for economic growth,” Grassley said. “The …