A long-troubled railroad crossing in Fairfield that has snarled traffic and been linked to deadly crashes is set for a major overhaul after the city secured $40 million in federal funding for a bridge project. (WKRC)
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a $5.3 billion national initiative Friday at Cincinnati’s Union Terminal aimed at improving freight and passenger rail service across the country.
“The investments we’re making today are going to impact this country for generations,” Duffy said. “People say, why can’t Americans have incredible rail, like Europe or Asia? I say, why not? We should have great rail in America. Our citizens, our constituents, deserve that. Well, giving us great rail starts with a massive investment like you’re seeing here today, this first $5 billion.”
In Fairfield, the CSX-owned railroad line crosses both Symmes and Gilmore roads and is routinely blocked, creating traffic backups. The crossings have also been the site of several serious accidents and fatalities. The project area has seen eight deaths and numerous other serious crashes.
The $40 million award is intended to help Fairfield build a bridge over the Symmes and Gilmore crossings, replacing the existing road-and-rail grade crossings with a new bridge.
In a one-on-one interview, Federal Railroad Administration head David Fink said Fairfield’s effort has taken decades to reach this point because of a lack of resources and momentum.
“I don’t think there’s been the political will or the money being put aside, like there is in this administration, where we said, look, we have $5.3 billion,” Fink said. He said Duffy raised the issue during Fink’s interview for the job. “When I was interviewed by the secretary back in December of 2025, he said to me, ‘What are you going to do about grade crossings?’ It’s a problem,” Fink said. “He was a congressman, and he also dealt with block crossings. And he said, ‘Listen, we need to fix this together, or Congress is going to fix it for us.'”
Fairfield and the state of Ohio are combining to contribute $10 million toward the local project, while CSX is committing $100,000.
Fairfield Vice Mayor Tim Meyers said he was stunned by the news. “I was elated. I didn’t have words to say. I didn’t think this was going to actually happen,” Meyers said. “My wife, who grew up in Fairfield, has basically said, ‘This will never happen.’ Now, it’s going to.”
Nationally, the initiative includes a major focus on replacing more than 30 road-and-track intersections, known as grade crossings, with bridges, or improving safety at hundreds of other crossings.
The funding plan includes $2 billion being reallocated from previous commitments to a high-speed rail project in California, with the rest coming from other transportation allocations made during the Biden administration.
Union Terminal, where the announcement was made, is an Amtrak stop on the Cardinal line between Chicago and Washington, D.C., and New York. Officials also discussed the possible expansion of passenger rail service in Ohio, including the long-debated line from Cincinnati through Dayton, Columbus, and Cleveland, and said an announcement on that could come sometime later this year.
About half of the $5.3 billion will go toward grade-crossing removals and safety improvements, while another half is slated to replace or renovate major parts of Amtrak’s passenger rail fleet. That includes 43 new train sets to be made in the U.S., as Amtrak undergoes a major corporate restructuring.
