OCTOBER 24, 2023:
South Dakota Railroad Board members have approved (Oct. 18, 2023) grant request applications for several rail projects
State Transportation Department Secretary Joel Jundt says the Special Transportation Circumstance grant funds are dedicated to three states– South Dakota, Wyoming and Alaska– who do not have any passenger rail trains (Amtrak). He says the STC grants are dedicated to provide the financial resources to improve South Dakota’s freight railroad infrastructure, which Jundt says is vital to the continued growth and development of our economy.
In this grant application cycle, $58.8 million was available for allocation. Approved STC grant applications and federal funding amounts include:
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Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad– ($14,062,328). (Minnesota border near Brookings to Rapid City, then splits with one leg going into Wyoming and the other going into Nebraska)
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Ringneck and Western Railroad– ($8,310,932) (Mitchell-Rapid City)
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Dakota, Missouri Valley and Western Railroad– ($17,600,360)
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Belle Fourche Economic Development Corporation– ($837,440)
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Dakota & Iowa Railroad– ($9,957,245)
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Sisseton Milbank Railroad– ($3,241,040)
The Railroad Board also approved an amendment to the 2020 STC Meet and Pass grant for Ringneck and Western Railroad in the amount of $797,353 in STC funds.
Applicants selected for submittal of a STC grant application to the Federal Railroad Administration must provide a fully completed grant application to SDDOT by Dec. 6, 2023.
For additional information about the STC Grant application process, please contact Jack Dokken, Air, Rail & Transit Program Manager, via email at jack.dokken@state.sd.us.
SEPTEMBER 20, 2023:
The South Dakota Railroad Board is accepting applications from interested parties for the FY2022 and FY2023 allocation of Special Transportation Circumstance (STC) grant funding. The written report for each proposed grant must be generated by the South Dakota Rail Investment Guide Intake Form, which is available here.
The STC funds are non-competitive grants from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for states, but the projects must still meet eligibility requirements. The Federal funding share for STC grants is not to exceed 80% of the project’s total cost. Once the information is submitted and the grant requests are approved by the Board, the South Dakota Department of Transportation will file an STC grant request on behalf of the approved interested parties.
Interested parties should submit Rail Investment Guide Intake Forms by 10 a.m. Central Standard time on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, to South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) – Becker-Hansen Building, located at 700 East Broadway Ave., Pierre, SD 57501. The Board will provide an opportunity for presentations during a special meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023. The Board will make final decisions regarding all proposals at the regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. If selected for submittal of a STC grant application to FRA, the applicant will need to provide a fully completed grant application to SDDOT by Wednesday Dec. 6, 2023.
For additional information about the STC Grant application process, please contact Jack Dokken, Air, Rail & Transit Program Manager, via email at jack.dokken@state.sd.us.
Information about the FRA’s grant application process can be found here.
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