DOTD outlines short‑line rail priority list; $3 million fund shared among 21 railroads

Dean Goodell, rail manager for the Office of Multimodal Commerce at the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, told the Joint Transportation Committee that the Class 2 and 3 rail infrastructure improvement program received 15 applications for 2025 and that the program’s current funding is $3 million from the state general fund shared among 21 short-line railroads.

Goodell said the total state requests on the prioritized list amount to roughly $12.7 million, with an estimated total project cost across applications near $50 million. He explained the department ranks applications and will fund from the top down if funds are available.

Representative Phelps asked whether the ranking simply reflects the department’s priority among the submitted projects; Goodell confirmed the list is prioritized after evaluation. Goodell also said that applications are due annually by Nov. 1 and that DOTD maintains applications for up to three years while checking annually to confirm projects remain viable.

Committee members asked about the local match for projects; Goodell responded that the match is typically railroad money. Commissioner Cormier noted the program is new (created in 2023) and that scoring rules are still being finalized through administrative rulemaking.

DOTD staff described the program as still evolving; projects are evaluated on a basic scoring framework now but DOTD may refine scoring and eligibility in future rulemaking and could consider opening eligibility to additional entities in later cycles. There was no formal vote at the hearing; the presentation was informational.