Reduced wait times for trains to pass and more railcars using the lines are among the benefits of a $9.56 million grant to improve and repair the Port of Benton’s industrial rail line. 

The funding from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Act will go toward major repairs and improvements to the Southern Connection Rail Line, from Columbia Center Boulevard in Kennewick to Horn Rapids Road in Richland. 

The work includes replacement of end-of-life railroad crossings over busy roadways connected to the industrial park, according to a release from U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, both Washington Democrats. 

“Every year, 1.3 million tons of freight travel along the Port of Benton’s 16-mile Southern Connection Rail Line,” Cantwell said in a statement. “After the port makes long overdue repairs funded by this grant, more railcars will be able to travel along the line, making it a central location for shippers in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.” 

The project is expected to significantly reduce wait times for motorists and increase travel reliability where the short line spans into and hosts many railroad crossings. The track improvements and increased safety assurance also will allow trains to increase their speed. 

“With these much-needed improvements, the track can return to Class 2 conditions, allowing train speeds to return to 25 mph. The increased speeds will reduce the time a unit train blocks an intersection from as much as 18 minutes to as little as four minutes. This reduction will shorten vehicle travel times and lessen the impact to fire and emergency vehicles, greatly improving public safety,” said Diahann Howard, port executive director, in a statement. 

The Port of Benton said the grant will be used to: 

• Replace 12,000 rail ties along the rail line. 

The port and the city of Richland recently finalized the first phase of an industrial land transfer in north Richland. The land exchange will allow the port to use the property for an expanded intermodal facility adjacent to its existing industrial property and rail assets.