$12.5M Federal Grant to Rebuild Southwest Georgia Rail

AMERICUS, Ga. — Short-line freight railroads serving six Central and Southwest Georgia communities are getting nearly $12.5 million in federal money to replace worn track and fix 40 road crossings.

The money, $12,495,000 in all, comes from the federal transportation department’s rail safety grant program, known as CRISI, and pays for the final phase of a corridor upgrade on the Heart of Georgia and Georgia Southwestern short lines. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced the award Monday as part of $2.3 billion in rail grants spread across 45 states and Washington, D.C.

The work covers five short-line subdivisions running through Dawson, Cuthbert, Arlington, Bainbridge, Cordele and Americus. Crews will swap older jointed track for continuous welded rail, lay new ties, resurface track and about 40 grade crossings, renew two turnouts and add technology meant to keep trespassers off the lines.

U.S. Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff backed the application, and Warnock sent federal officials a letter of support for the project. Warnock said the grant will ease congestion and make moving goods across Georgia safer and more efficient. Ossoff said aging rail lines became one of the pair’s top priorities after they heard from communities around the state.

Congress expanded the CRISI program in the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to give more weight to regional rail networks. In 2024, Georgia received more than $60 million from the program, spread among the state transportation department, the Georgia Ports Authority and two private rail operators, Patriot Rail Company and OmniTRAX.

For farm towns in the region, the short lines carry crops, timber and other freight to larger rail networks and ports, so smoother track and safer crossings matter for both shippers and drivers.

Federal officials say the grants are meant to improve safety, reduce congestion and strengthen freight and passenger rail. No construction start date or completion timeline has been announced.

Filed under: Savannah GA Business News