Perry County Awarded $11.575M Grant to Upgrade 14 Miles of Rail

The Perry County Port Authority secured an $11.575 million RAISE grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to rehabilitate more than 14 miles of aging railroad track, a move officials say will modernize freight service and strengthen the county’s logistics appeal.

The project will upgrade the line to the 286,000-pound railcar capacity standard, bringing the corridor into alignment with the weight limits used by modern freight railcars. That increase in allowable load per car is expected to improve reliability for shippers, reduce the number of trips needed to move the same tonnage, and lower per-ton transportation costs for Perry County businesses that rely on rail service.

Beyond the direct freight benefits, the grant addresses local infrastructure and traffic concerns. By shifting more cargo onto rail and enabling heavier cars, the project should reduce tractor-trailer traffic on county roads and state highways, easing roadway wear and congestion. Perry County Port Authority officials have described the upgrade as a way to strengthen regional connections for manufacturers, distributors, and agricultural producers that depend on dependable freight links.

The award also carries a near-term economic boost. The rehabilitation work will require contractors, laborers, and related suppliers, creating construction jobs during planning and implementation. Over the longer term, improved rail capacity can make Perry County more competitive when firms weigh locations for warehouses, light manufacturing, and distribution centers that value lower shipping costs and dependable multimodal access.

The grant comes through the RAISE program, a competitive federal transportation funding stream intended to support projects that improve freight movement, connectivity, and local economic outcomes. The Perry County Port Authority will oversee engineering and construction phases and coordinate with rail operators and state transportation partners as work moves forward. Specific timelines and contractor selections were not released with the grant announcement; residents can expect phased construction and associated traffic or crossing disruptions as the upgrades begin.

For Perry County taxpayers and business owners, the project represents an investment in the county’s supply-chain infrastructure that could translate into lower logistics costs, fewer heavy trucks on local roads, and new economic opportunities. As planning advances, the Port Authority will detail schedules and community impacts; in the meantime, the grant secures federal backing for a decades-long asset improvement that aims to make Perry County a stronger player in regional freight networks.