Officials with The Napoleon, Defiance & Western Railway announced on Friday, that the railroad has received nearly $1.5 million from the Ohio Rail commission to put in new ties that will allow the CSX line in Defiance to connect to the Norfolk & Southern line in Woodburn, Indiana.
The goal is to have the connection to the Norfolk and Southern interchange up by the end of the year.
Local officials say the new connection will be a valuable economic resource for all of Northwest Ohio, making pricing and transportation costs very competitive in and around Defiance and Napoleon.
According to the Ohio Rail Development Commission, the railroad was awarded a $450,000 grant and a $1 million loan.
The terms include a five-year loan with 0 percent interest the first year and 2/3 of prime interest the rest of the term of the loan.
Here’s some trivia… There are 2,600 ties to a mile. Each new tie costs $100.