Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Friday the state is giving $8 million to four railroad companies to modernize the state’s track system for easier transport of freight.
New England Central Railroad received $3.6 million to upgrade the mainline track between New London and the Massachusetts border to accommodate 286,000 pound rail cars.
The Central New England Railroad received $2.5 million from the state rail freight infrastructure program to upgrade track and grade crossing signals between Hartford and Bloomfield on the state-owned Griffin Line.
Naugatuck Railroad receives $1.6 million to replace ties, worn rails, and improve the Frost Bridge Road crossing in Watertown along the state-owned Torrington Line between Waterbury and Torrington.
The Providence & Worcester Railroad received $750,395 to rehab 26 miles of the Norwich Branch Line between Plainfield and the Massachusetts border, including adding new crossties, spikes, and ballasts so rail speeds can increase.
The work is expected to create and sustain 425 jobs.
Annually, rail companies move 8.5 million tons of freight through Connecticut along 625 miles of track.