WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator John Hoeven, R-ND, a member of the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Committee, today announced that the Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded $6.7 million to the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) to replace 14.5 miles of aging rail on the Red River Valley Western Railroad (RRVW) near Oakes. This funding was made available through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program to ensure rail transportation remains safe and reliable. Hoeven led the state’s congressional delegation in supporting North Dakota’s application to the CRISI program and worked to secure its approval by the Federal Railroad Administration.
“North Dakota’s economy depends on freight transportation, including rail, to ship bulk agricultural commodities, energy products and manufactured goods,” said Hoeven. “We need to ensure that our transportation network remains reliable. This grant will help rehabilitate aging rail and ensure that our producers can continue to get their products to market safely and efficiently.”
“Red River Valley & Western Railroad is proud to provide local freight rail service to the many rural communities that will benefit from this rail replacement project to support our objective of long-term safe and reliable freight rail transportation services to our agricultural shippers. We are grateful to Senator Hoeven, Senator Cramer, Congressman Armstrong, Governor Burgum, and the North Dakota DOT for their support as well as the support from our customers and local communities that rely on quality transportation services for the health of our rural economy,” said Victor Meyers, Red River Valley & Western Railroad President.
