06/01/2026
Sierra Northern Railway (SNR) has made significant rail safety upgrades and FRA Administrator David Fink met with SNR staff to view and learn more about these improvements.
Using over $17 million in an FRA Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant, SNR replaced 90,000 railroad ties and rehabilitated 10 miles of rail. This CRISI Grant also allowed them to make improvements to 10 grade crossings along the Oakdale Branch line. In December 2025, they also completed a project to build five new sidings expanding nearly 7 miles using a Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) Express loan with the Build America Bureau.
Photos courtesy of David D. Woodruff