Bowling Green hires HDR Engineering to prepare passenger-rail corridor application to the Federal Railroad Administration
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Summary
Commissioners approved a professional services contract with HDR Engineering to prepare a Federal Railroad Administration corridor identification application as a first step toward reestablishing passenger rail connections; the city will share consulting costs with Warren County and expects to contribute roughly $67,600 of the estimated $135,000.
The Board of Commissioners on Feb. 18 approved contracting with HDR Engineering Inc. to prepare a step-1 corridor identification and application to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) as Bowling Green pursues reestablishing passenger rail service connecting north to Louisville and south to Nashville.
City presenters described the work as an initial application to get Bowling Green’s corridor into the FRA’s planning process; the proposal follows a city strategic planning discussion and outreach to the FRA. Staff said HDR was the consultant on 17 of 69 corridors awarded in a prior FRA round and that the firm’s experience made it a logical choice for the city’s first-step application.
The proposed contract is a joint effort with Warren County; staff estimated Bowling Green’s share at roughly $67,600 of a $135,000 total. Citizens and commissioners praised the effort as a long-term project. "This is the first step of several. It’s gonna take several years for this to take place," a citizen volunteer credited with initial outreach said, while commissioners noted potential economic, tourism and connectivity benefits.
Commissioners voted to approve the professional services procurement and joint contract execution, with staff to proceed on application preparation and coordination with the county and the FRA.
