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The Chesapeake and Indiana Railroad will invest about $600,000 into railroad improvements in LaPorte County from Wellsboro to LaCrosse.
The money, earmarked for infrastructure improvements across the approximate 28 miles of railroad, come from a mix of grants from the Indiana Department of Transportation and private funds. Railroad officials say they are trying to keep up with business demands in the area.
President of the Chesapeake and Indiana railroad Powell Felix, says an increase in traffic moving through the line makes the improvements a necessity.
Felix says the nearly 33 mile line was saved from abandonment by local communities more than a decade ago, and since then, they’ve tried to get improvements up to national standards.
"Fortunately we saved this line," he says, "and it's proved to be very viable and very useful to the area economy, primarily in the agriculture area."
The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year, with construction set to begin this summer.
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