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.