The New Jersey Department of Transportation and Minnesota Department of Transportation recently awarded freight improvement grants to projects in their respective regions.
[Above photo by New Jersey DOT]
The New Jersey DOT issued 11 fiscal year 2026 Rail Freight Assistance Program grants totaling more than $26.3 million in 10 counties and include marine terminal rail improvements; rehabilitation and repair of several rail bridges; capacity expansion at port facilities; and installing rail, ties, and surface improvements on a rail line.
The agency said in a statement that those grants help support economic activity by preserving and improving the existing freight transportation system and by making freight rail service more widely available for businesses throughout New Jersey.
The New Jersey DOT added that those state grants will benefit from an additional $3.4 million from railroad owners and operators, bringing the total investment in these 11 projects to more than $29.7 million.
Meanwhile, in Minnesota, MnDOT awarded nearly $4.5 million to five freight rail projects to support economic development in different regions of the state.
The agency said the Minnesota Rail Service Improvement Program, established in 1976, strengthens the state’s freight economy through grants and loans for freight rail infrastructure projects that connect goods and commodities to regional and international markets.
“These projects strengthen Minnesota’s freight rail network and provide critical connections which help move Minnesota goods and products to markets more efficiently,” said Nancy Daubenberger, MnDOT commissioner, in a statement. “Investing in freight rail infrastructure supports economic growth in communities across the state.”
States
Governor Beshear Names Goodman KYTC Secretary
April 17, 2026
States
