Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Arcelor Mittal gets help with rail lines
The Coatesville steel company is getting state funding to help refurbish the rail tracks that run through it.
COATESVILLE >> ArcelorMittal recently received state funding to invest in its railroad operations at the steel mill.
The projects, which are funded through PennDOT’s Rail Freight Assistance Program, were approved by the State Transportation Commission. They are:
• $274,179 for ArcelorMittal Plate LLC to replace seven turnouts and reconstruct 327 feet of track throughout the company’s Coatesville steel plant.
• $308,315 for MittalSteel USA Railways to construct 790 feet of track and replace six turnouts throughout the company’s Coatesville property.
Ed Frey, general manager of eastern plate for ArcelorMittal, expressed the company’s appreciation for the state’s financial support.
“ArcelorMittal appreciates the latest infrastructure support provided by the state of Pennsylvania for our rail systems in Coatesville,” Frey said. “In partnership with the state, we are able to make these necessary investments that not only enhance safety for our employees and the public, but also improves our operational reliability which will help to ensure the sustainability of our business over the long run.
State Sen. Andrew Dinniman announced the grants.
“Investments in our rail freight network help stimulate economic development and job growth,” Dinniman said. “In addition, improving and updating our rail infrastructure enhances safety on
our local roads and highways by easing traffic congestions.”
PennDOT’s Rail Freight Assistance Program is an annual grant program that provides financial assistance for investment in rail freight infrastructure.
It is underwritten through the new MultiModal Fund, created by Act 89 of 2013, said Dinniman, D-19, of West Whiteland.
The Coatesville projects are part of 34 rail projects statewide that were approved for more than $40 million in total funding and are expected to support 375 jobs across the Commonwealth
According to ArcelorMittal’s website, the Coatesville plant produces steel from scrap in an electric arc furnace and is capable of producing approximately 900,000 tons of raw steel annually. The plant also operates ingot teeming facilities, a slab caster, two plate mills and heat-treating facilities. The Coatesville facility refines more than 450 different steel chemistries and, together with the Conshohocken facility, produces some of the widest, thickest and heaviest steel plates in the industry.
It sits on 968 acres and has around 700 employees.