Thirteen Saskatchewan short lines will share $900,000 in provincial grants this year to upgrade infrastructure.
The matching grants are funded yearly through the Saskatchewan Grain Car Corp. and the Shortline Railway Sustainability Program.
The amount each short line receives depends on how much track it has. Great Western Railway, with 508 eligible kilometres, will receive the largest grant of $214,502.
Big Sky Rail has 356 km for a grant worth $150,320.
The others and their grants are: Great Sandhills Railway, 189 km, $79,805; Carlton Trail Railway, 184 km, $77,694; Last Mountain Railway, 136 km, $57,426; Stewart Southern Railway, 132 km, $55,737; Red Coat Road and Rail, 115 km, $48,558; Fife Lake Railway, 97 km, $40,958; and Wheatland Railway, 74 km, Southern Rails, 71 km, Long Creek Railroad, 66 km, Torch River Rail, 45 km, and Thunder Rail, 31 km, all $35,000 each.
The grants are used to upgrade track, stabilize track bed and repair bridges.
The program has provided $5.6 million since 2008 and leveraged total investment of more than $11 million in short lines.
Contact karen.briere@producer.com