Nevada State Rail Plan, With Strategic Rail Finance

Currently, rail carries 23% of all Nevada freight tonnage. Targeted rail improvements could op-timize existing freight networks to improve travel time reliability, reduce vehicle emissions and support Nevada’s economic development., according to the Nevada Department of Transporta-tion (NDOT). The Nevada State Rail Plan, prepared by Strategic Rail Finance (SRF), outlines op-tions to improve and integrate rail through local and private sector investment in eight regions of the state. Rail improvements listed in the plan become eligible for federal grant funding, opening the opportunity for local government and economic development partners to potential-ly pursue the rail improvements in the future. NDOT State Railroad Coordinator Lee Bonner and SRF Chairman and CEO Mike Sussman discuss how the plan “creates a blueprint for potential rail improvements to augment existing freight systems; provide jobs, tax revenue and business opportunities; and enhance mobility, traffic safety and the environment, fully utilizing rail for an integrated and sustainable statewide freight transportation network,” with Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono.