Biden administration indicates $570 million in grants

Harris Marley

Global Courant

With the rail industry relying on ever-longer trains to cut costs, the Biden administration is handing out $570 million in grants to help eliminate many railroad crossings in 32 states.

The grants announced Monday will help build bridges or underpasses at the locations of more than three dozen intersections that slow traffic and sometimes keep first responders away from where help is desperately needed.

In some places, trains routinely exceeding 2 miles can block crosswalks for hours, cutting off access to parts of towns and forcing pedestrians to climb through trains that may move without warning.

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In recent years, the major freight railroads have revised their operations to rely on fewer, longer trains so they can use fewer crews and locomotives as part of their cost-cutting efforts.

The railroads insist these changes haven’t made their trains any more risky, but regulators and Congress are closely scrutinizing their operations after a number of recent high-profile derailments. And the problems at level crossings are well documented.

RAILWAYS WARNED THAT THE LONG TRAINS THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO RELAXATION

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