Revitalizing a Railroad Short lines like Watco’s South Kansas & Oklahoma
metals, and much more. Since beginning work in
Railroad (SKOL) provide first- and final-mile rail
June 2022, the SKOL and contractors have:
service to businesses across the U.S. They’re a
• Replaced 150,000 ties
vital connection to the rest of North America and beyond for small and large customers alike, especially in rural communities. It takes a lot to keep these lines running safely, and sometimes they need support too. Federal Railroad Administration Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) grants provide critical support to modernize short lines and attract new customers. The SKOL received a $27 million grant in 2020. After further contributions from the Kansas and Oklahoma departments of transportation and Watco, the infrastructure investment totaled around $42 million.
What does this investment mean and what are the benefits?
• Laid 60,000 tons of ballast • Upgraded 12 switches on the Tulsa Sub • Improved 66 crossings • Installed 34 miles of new, heavier rail • Repaired or completely rebuilt 27 bridges • Completed 200 miles of surfacing These upgrades mean safer, smoother crossings in our communities. The new rail allows customers to move 286,000-pound railcars at 25 mph, increasing efficiency and decreasing costs. And the improved switches and infrastructure help ensure our customers are served efficiently and railcars reach their destinations safely. “Many of our customers and Class I partners want to move higher-capacity railcars and want quicker transit times,” said Casey Harbour, Watco sales
It’s a major upgrade for a railroad that carries grain,
manager. “This allows the SKOL to do that, and the
aggregates, fertilizer, cement, petroleum products,
investments into safety ensure we’re not putting
8 The Dispatch | December 2023
