HENDERSON, Texas (KLTV) – After three years of filing paperwork and obtaining environmental permits, the Rusk County Rural Railroad District can now use $8 million in federal grant funding to rehabilitate and improve 14 miles of the Henderson-Overton Branch Railroad Line.
The rail district purchased the line from Union Pacific in 2010 and has maintained it ever since.
The company serves industrial customers transporting asphalt, chemicals, lumber and more.
State assistance and investment from private contractors will bring the total investment in the project to $15 million.
“It’s expensive and it needs to be done properly, and if we do this now, we can look forward to 30 to 60 years of not having to worry about anything other than regular maintenance,” said John Cloutier, president of the Rusk County Rural Railroad District. “This is definitely a milestone for the line, a milestone for Rusk County and the Northeast Texas region.”
The money will be used for a series of improvements, including replacing sleepers, widening track and purchasing new locomotives.
“In addition, we’re going to modernize our connections with Class One carriers in the north,” Cloutier said, where the railroad connects with Union Pacific lines.
Another goal of the project is to attract businesses and stimulate the economy.
“All the businesses that use the railroad obviously employ people, contribute to our economy and help build our economy overall,” Henderson Economic Development Director John Clary said.
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