The Ohio Rail Development Commission on Wednesday approved a $130,000 grant to the Youngstown and Southeastern Railroad to stabilize a railroad embankment in Columbiana County.
The project involves engineering and permit coordination, restoration of a stream to its previous location, embankment stabilization and related work. The Youngstown and Southeastern Railroad is a subsidiary of the Midwest and Bluegrass Rail.
Over the past several years, the course of Little Bull Creek, adjacent to YSRR’s line near Rogers in Columbiana County, changed course. The stream was directly against a YSRR embankment, which caused erosion. YSRR’s previous owner had attempted to prevent continued erosion by placing large concrete blocks against the embankment and partially in the new channel of the stream.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers became aware of this activity, which is considered an unauthorized fill in a regulated waterway and thus a violation of the Clean Water Act. The Corps of Engineers ordered the railroad to remove the unauthorized fill, which necessitated a long-term solution that would comply with applicable regulations.
“The YSRR is grateful for Ohio Rail Development Commission assistance in resolving the Little Bull Creek embankment issue in Rogers, Ohio,” said Brendan Keener, Business Development Manager and Government Affairs, Midwest and Bluegrass Rail. “Addressing this situation will mitigate the possibility of a service outage and ensure YSRR’s continued operation to serve customers across the southern portion of its system from Rogers, Ohio to Darlington, Pennsylvania.”
“This project is an excellent example of how investments in shortline railroads in the state have positive impacts on the region. By improving the rail infrastructure, ORDC is not only leveraging railroad investment but also increasing safety on the line and continuing service to the railroad’s customers who depend on it,” said Matthew Dietrich, executive director of the Ohio Rail Development Commission.
For additional information regarding this project or for information on ORDC, contact Wende Jourdan at 614-728-9497.
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