On July 20, 2022, the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) approved a grant to Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway (W&LE) in the amount of $490,626. This grant will fulfill ORDC’s match requirement on a submission to the Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Railroad Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) grant program, submitted in November 2021. ORDC was informed in June 2022 that the CRISI application was successful.
The nearly $10 million project will reconfigure connecting tracks between four W&LE lines in Spencer, Ohio, and will result in significant public benefits. Spencer is located at the convergence of four W&LE Subdivision lines: Hartland (north), Akron (east), Brewster (south), and Carey (west). Two connecting tracks currently exist, the Spencer Connecting Track in the southwest quadrant between Carey and Brewster and the Spencer Transfer Track in the northeast quadrant between Hartland and Akron. Currently, due to the configuration of the connecting tracks, traffic moving between the lines blocks the North Main Street/State Route 301 crossing. This project will alleviate these crossing blockages while increasing the fluidity of W&LE’s operations in the area.
“The Spencer project is the result of a concerted effort between the ORDC, FRA, and W&LE and carries with it several benefits. These benefits include, but are not limited to, a reduction in timely delays for vehicular traffic, increased train operation efficiencies, and emission reductions. We are very pleased this project is moving forward,” said Dan Reinsel, AVP of Engineering and Signals, Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway.
“ORDC is happy that W&LE is choosing to make this investment. We are proud to partner with W&LE in an endeavor that represents a large commitment to the region and Ohio, and we are grateful to the FRA for seeing the value this project brings. By enhancing operation efficiencies and reducing the blockages at the crossing, the improvements will increase safety for the traveling public and support W&LE in its continued growth into the future; a win for all involved,” said Matthew Dietrich, Executive Director of the Ohio Rail Development Commission.
