09.26.23

Durbin, Duckworth Announce More Than $2.8 Million for Metra's BNSF Railway

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $2,888,000 forthe West Cook County Rail Safety Improvement Project through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program to design and construct trespassing prevention improvements along the BNSF Railway, the busiest line for the Metra commuter rail system and a major freight corridor.

“Metra’s BNSF railway, like many others across the country, faces the challenge of trespassing incidents that not only endanger lives, but disrupt the efficiency and reliability of our rail services,” said Durbin.“This federal funding represents an investment in safety, a pledge to protect the lives of those who rely on our railways, and a recognition that we can and must do more to prevent these incidents from occurring.”

“We owe it to the people of our state to do everything we can to ensure trains are operating as safely as possible,” Duckworth said. “This CRISI federal investment will help improve safety standards while helping passengers and consumer goods get to where they need to go efficiently.”

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 omnibus appropriations bill, which Durbin and Duckworth supported, included $625 million for grants through the CRISI program. This program funds projects that improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of intercity passenger and freight rail.

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