San Juan County and Farmington have long said that a railroad is needed to help them transition from reliance on fossil fuels.
Now the Federal Railroad Administration is providing up to $4 million to support the Four Corners Freight Rail Project, which would develop a new rail line connecting the Farmington area with existing rail near Gallup.
The majority of the project will be located within the Navajo Nation, which has partnered with San Juan County and the New Mexico Department of Transportation on the effort. The Navajo Nation could benefit from the railroad in part because of the tribal enterprise Navajo Agricultural Products Industry, or NAPI. A rail would allow NAPI to move products to new markets.
Meanwhile, San Juan County hopes that a railroad will help attract manufacturing industries, including renewable energy manufacturers. Most of the recent renewable energy manufacturing announcements have been in the Albuquerque area, where interstates and railroad provide opportunities to move the products out of the metro area.
San Juan County has agreed to pay a 20 percent match as part of the new grant agreement.
The Federal Railroad Administration also announced on Tuesday that it will provide the City of Clovis with up to $570,920 for safety upgrades at the BNSF Rail Line. Clovis and the railroad will provide a 53 percent match.
“Today’s investments in our rail systems reflect the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to building a stronger, safer, and more resilient transportation network,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a press release. “Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re funding rail infrastructure projects that create jobs and expand workforce development, reduce costs for consumers, and directly benefit communities across the country. Each project advances a future where our supply chains are stronger, passenger rail more accessible, and freight movement safer and more efficient.”
This is not the first time San Juan County has received federal funding for the freight rail project. It previously used $2 million of federal funding to conduct a feasibility study.