WASHINGTON, D.C. — Work can now begin on improvements that will allow double-stacked trains to move freely from northwest Ohio through Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland thanks to an agreement between the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Ohio Rail Development Commission.

The National Gateway Freight Rail Project received $98 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which will help complete the first corridor project.

The National Gateway Initiative will allow trains to carry double-stacked containers, which will increase freight capacity and make the corridors a cost-effective option for major ports and shippers. This new project also will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fuel usage, shorten transport times, and expand access to rail services.

The grant is part of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program included in ARRA to promote innovative, multi-modal, and multi-jurisdictional transportation projects that provide significant economic and environmental benefits to an entire metropolitan area, region or the nation.