WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today (Thursday) announced that the state will receive $773,353 in grants for the repair and rehabilitation of flood damaged railroad infrastructure.  The funds come from the Iowa Department of Transportation through the Flood Damage Restoration for the Iowa River Railroad Program. Harkin is a senior member of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds transportation initiatives.

The railroad repairs include debris removal, track regulation, bridge reconstruction, aligning and surfacing caused by flood damage. The funds will be used to reimburse short line and regional rails in the following counties:  Adair, Cass, Dallas, Des Moines, Hardin, Iowa, Jasper, Marshall, Muscatine, Polk, Pottawattamie, and Poweshiek.

“Three years ago, devastating floods hit Iowa causing destruction across our state, including severe damage to our railway system,” said Harkin.  “These railroads are crucial to the safe and efficient movement of goods between Iowa communities and to places outside of our state, as well as critical to growing our economy.”