The U.S. Department of Transportation announced the Texas Department of Transportation has received a $7 million federal grant to help rebuild the Presidio-Ojinaga International Rail Bridge. It will also provide improvements on 72 miles of track on the state-owned South Orient Rail Line that runs from the border to near Coleman, Texas.
Texas Transportation Commission Chairman Tryon Lewis hailed the FASTLANE grant as a critical investment in the West Texas oil and gas industry.
“The South Orient Railroad has become an increasingly important freight line for the agriculture and oil and gas industries in West Texas. With the replacement of the rail bridge at Presidio, the improvements to the track, bridges and crossings will allow enhanced freight opportunities for communities in Texas and between Texas and Mexico, with greater efficiency and safety,” said Lewis.
The South Orient Rail Line is a 391-mile line running from the Texas-Mexico border at Presidio through San Angelo to just south of Coleman. The grant will be part of a public and private partnership to replace the international bridge that was damaged by a fire in 2008. It has remained closed since then, blocking one of only seven rail gateways between the United States and Mexico.
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