Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
MDOT and rail industry outline freight-rail programs, safety data and grade‑separation needs
Summary
MDOT and the Michigan Railroads Association briefed the committee on the state's 3,600-mile freight network, grant programs (FEDP, Rail Enhancement), federal discretionary grants, safety trends and local-grade separation funding needs; MDOT said it owns about 665 miles of rail and the Office of Rail has authorization for 41 FTEs.
The Subcommittee on Appropriations — Transportation heard an overview of Michigan’s freight rail network and state grant programs on Oct. 12 from Peter Anister, director of rail at the Michigan Department of Transportation, and John Cool, president of the Michigan Railroads Association.
Anister said Michigan has about 3,600 miles of railroad track and that the state owns roughly 665 of those miles. “We have about 3,600 miles of rail in Michigan, and primarily that rail is owned by private railroads. Michigan, we do own about 665 miles of that 3,600 miles of rail,” Anister said.
Why it matters: Committee members heard that rail moves large tonnages of freight, serves auto manufacturers and other major industries, reduces truck traffic and that state and federal grant programs are central to improving rail capacity and safety.
Anister described two MDOT…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
