Feds giving Maine nearly $8M for northeastern rail work

Maine Sen. Susan Collins says the federal government is awarding nearly $8 million to build more rail capacity in the northeastern part of the state.

Collins, a Republican, says the money will fund the Maine Railroad Bridge Capacity project, which will repair and upgrade 22 rail bridges. The bridges are located on the Madawaska Subdivision of the Maine Northern Railway.

Collins says the 151-mile section of railway will be able to carry 286,000 pounds of rail car weight when the work is completed. She says one of the bridges will be replaced completely.

Collins says the rail link is used every day by manufacturers, and increasing its capacity will create jobs.