North Dakota Congressional delegation announces $12 million grant to improve rail service

(BISMARCK) – North Dakota’s Congressional delegation announced Monday that the federal government has awarded a nearly $12 million grant to improve rail service in the Red River Valley.

The grant award is to be used for developing and constructing safe and efficient freight rail service to “help with expected growth from the new soybean crushing facility in Casselton.”

According to the Congressional delegation, the funding will enable the Red River Valley and Western Railroad Company to “develop, design and construct track improvements to help accommodate the expected growth in carloads of agriculture products to the region.” 

In a letter to US Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Federal Rail Administration Administrator Amit Bose, North Dakota’s delegation says more than 10,000 new rail carloads per year of soybeans, soybean oils and soymeal are expected to move across the line once the $400 million soybean crushing facility is completed in Casselton.