RCPE railroad upgrade nears completion, promising faster, safer service for South Dakota businesses
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – The Rapid City, Pierre, and Eastern Railroad is nearing the completion of a multi year public-private project that has upgraded the RCPE main line from Fort Pierre to Rapid City. Thanks to this progress, RCPE will be moving ahead with a long-planned speed increase of trains on this corridor. Trains could operate at speeds from 25 mph to 40 mph.
“As a result of this tremendous investment in South Dakota, local West River businesses that rely on RCPE for transportation and logistics services will receive even safer and more efficient service from the railroad,” says Ryan Englebright, RCPE’s general manager.
The $84 million investment was supported by a U.S. Department of Transportation grant as well as funding from both the State of South Dakota and RCPE.
RCPE urges the public, as always, to exercise extreme caution around railroad tracks and grade crossings, obey all crossing signs and signals, and expect that a train could move on RCPE main line at any time – day or night – from any direction.
Among improvements made during the upgrade project, 88 miles of rail have been replaced with continuously welded rail, while more than 80,000 new crossties have been installed.
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