United States · State
? How to use this page
How to use a region page
- Counts and the pipeline for this region come first; the tabs list its buyers, players and tenders.
- Cities on the map open their own pages.
- Capex, pipeline value and the market narrative open with this market's edition.
Kansas
4 buyers · 7 tenders · checked 2026-10-08
Federal short-line and crossing grants through KDOT and two cities, and a Heartland Flyer extension still in planning; no open rail tender.
Everything here is free. One market edition opens in full with one email. Open your free edition
0Metro systems operating
4Buyers tracked
7Tenders tracked
5Cities tracked
Amtrak's Southwest Chief crosses Kansas; four Class I railroads, 13 short lines and two switching railroads per the 2022 draft rail plan; no metro, light rail or commuter railRail systems note
- Live pipeline
- SKOL Neodesha rebuild: $31.2m CRISI selection (up to); Watco battery locomotives: $15.7m CRISI selection (up to, multi-railroad); Wellington sealed corridor: $8.86m federal grant; Cimarron Valley: $10.99m CRISI grant in execution; Kyle Railroad: $9.37m CRISI grant in execution to July 2027; Heartland Flyer extension: $311m to $573m KDOT capital estimates (not funded)
- Technology areas
- Track & civil, Signalling & train control, Rolling-stock hardware
Key figures
2026 state rail awards$11.2m
1 source · secondary
- ○ Trains: Kansas DOT awards $11.2 million for rail infrastructure projects · Trade-press report of KDOT's 2026 Rail Service Improvement Program awards: ten projects, 20 applications seeking more than $33.5 million, more than $5.3 million local match, project list with amounts. Secondary because ksdot.gov and the Governor's release return 403 to automated clients (published 2026-01-18 · checked 2026-10-08)
State rail funds$5m a year (short-line fund)
1 source · primary
- ● KDOT testimony on House Bill 2335 (Rail Service Improvement Program) · KDOT Division of Policy testimony to the House Transportation Committee dated 10 February 2023: Short Line Rail Improvement Fund $5M a year for fiscal years 2021 to 2023, Rail Service Improvement Fund $5M a year, annual application and award tables, support for merging the two programmes. Read from the Legislature's PDF because ksdot.gov returns 403 (published 2023-02-10 · checked 2026-10-08)
Watco CRISI selections$31.2m and $15.7m
2 sources · 1 primary
- ○ WIBW: Two Kansas railroad companies awarded $47 million in federal funding · Television report of the Governor's 3 October 2023 announcement of CRISI awards of up to $15,740,943 to Watco (eight battery locomotives, 20% match) and up to $31,225,484 to the South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad Neodesha Subdivision (about 37 miles of track; KDOT and SKOL 20% match). Secondary because the Governor's release returns 403 (published 2023-10-03 · checked 2026-10-08)
- ● Kansas Register: South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad request for proposals · Notice published 6 February 2025 in the State's official register: Watco, for SKOL, seeks proposals for the Southeast Kansas Short Line Rail Upgrade and Growth Project (Neodesha Subdivision, mileposts 350.0 to 387.0, 49 crossings, 37 miles of welded rail and surfacing); KDOT project number cited; schedule with proposal due 26 March 2025 and award 11 April 2025 (published 2025-02-06 · checked 2026-10-08)
Flyer extension to Newton$311m to $573m
2 sources · 1 primary
- ○ Trains: Kansas officials say extension of Heartland Flyer could cost up to $573 million · Trade-press report of KDOT's 11 December 2024 briefing: $311 million basic infrastructure ($175 million Kansas, $136 million Oklahoma), $573 million for 79-mph running; 198 miles on BNSF's route between Newton and Oklahoma City; Kansas Legislature had set aside $5 million. Secondary (published 2024-12-12 · checked 2026-10-08)
- ● USAspending: FRA Corridor ID award to KDOT (Heartland Flyer corridor) · Award 69A36524520390FSPKS, $500,000, assistance listing 20.326, 8 April 2024 to 31 October 2026; scope names Edmond, Perry and Ponca City, Oklahoma and Arkansas City, Wichita and Newton, Kansas (published 2024-05-14 · checked 2026-10-08)
Crossing grants$27.5m
2 sources · 1 primary
- ○ KWCH: Kansas receives $27.5 million to reduce train collisions and blocked crossings · Television report of FRA's 5 June 2023 Railroad Crossing Elimination selections in Kansas: Wellington $8,864,725, Emporia $601,000, Olathe $17,987,495 (Woodland Road and Northgate Street overpass over BNSF). Secondary; FRA's own list returns 403 (published 2023-06-05 · checked 2026-10-08)
- ● USAspending: Railroad Crossing Elimination award, City of Wellington · Award 69A36526420340RCEKS, $8,864,725 federal obligation, non-federal funding $5,001,000, signed 15 January 2026, 1 October 2025 to 31 October 2029; Wellington Sealed Corridor Project (published 2026-01-15 · checked 2026-10-08)
Rail network4,600 miles
1 source · secondary
- ○ KSN: A chance to comment on the plan for Kansas railroads · Television report of 22 June 2022 on KDOT's draft Kansas Rail Plan: more than 4,600 miles of active rail, four Class I railroads, 13 short lines and two switching and terminal railroads, 5.7 million Class I carloads and almost 162 thousand short-line carloads in 2020. Secondary; the plan itself is on ksdot.gov, which returns 403 (published 2022-06-22 · checked 2026-10-08)
Buyers
| Buyer | Type | Tenders | Contracts awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas Department of Transportation, Multimodal Transportation and Innovation | State DOT | 4 | 0 |
| City of Wellington, Kansas | Other | 1 | 0 |
| South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad (Watco) | Freight railroad | 1 | 0 |
| City of Olathe, Kansas | Other | 0 | 0 |
Tenders
| Tender | Buyer | Status | Value band | Next key date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SKOL Neodesha Subdivision rebuild | SKOL | Bids closed | $25–100m | |
| SKOL rehabilitation CRISI grant | KDOT | In execution | $25–100m | |
| Cimarron Valley Railroad CRISI upgrade | KDOT | In execution | $5–25m | |
| Kyle Railroad Concordia rail replacement | KDOT | In execution | $5–25m | |
| Heartland Flyer extension to Newton | KDOT | Planned | $311m to $573m (KDOT capital estimates) | |
| Watco battery locomotive conversion | Watco | Planned | $5–25m | |
| Wellington Sealed Corridor Project | Wellington | Planned | $5–25m |
Cities
| City | Network status | Networks |
|---|---|---|
| Topeka | Seat of KDOT and the Legislature's rail caucus; the Southwest Chief calls in Topeka's region at Lawrence and Kansas City, and no rail construction is tendered here. | Amtrak Southwest Chief (Lawrence, Newton, Dodge City) |
| Wellington | BNSF Southern Transcon main line city; the Wellington Sealed Corridor Project is funded by a federal crossing-elimination grant. | BNSF Southern Transcon |
| Olathe | Johnson County city on BNSF's Emporia Subdivision with a federal study of eight crossings; a city-funded 119th Street bridge over BNSF is under construction. | BNSF Emporia Subdivision |
| Newton | Southwest Chief stop and the proposed northern terminus of the Heartland Flyer extension; a siding for the GAF shingle plant was funded in the 2026 state round. | Amtrak Southwest Chief; Heartland Flyer extension (proposed) |
| Cherryvale | Site of the pre-bid meeting for SKOL's Neodesha Subdivision rebuild between Sherwin and Cherryvale, Watco's South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad. | South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad (freight) |
Withheld in the free surface
- Capex in this region (3)
- Live pipeline value (3)
- Market narrative
Full detail withheld: 3 fields. In the United States edition · See a fully open example
- Note
- Methodology note
Full detail withheld: 2 fields. In the United States edition · See a fully open example
Sources
- ● Build Kansas Fund application 2026-170-GP, City of Dodge City · Application package dated 6 May 2026 for Dodge City's Southwest Chief Corridor Safety and Access Improvement Project, an FSP-National application: $20,000,000 requested from the Build Kansas Fund, total project cost $145,919,972, Build Kansas Fund deadline 6 February 2026, received 7 January 2026; the federal application was due 7 January 2026. An application, not an award (published 2026-05-06 · checked 2026-10-08)
- ○ Congressional release: FRA CRISI grants announced (Watco battery-electric locomotives) · House member's release: CRISI grant of $19,843,062 to convert eight Watco diesel locomotives to battery-electric, tied to Watco's Memphis Dock Street Marine Terminal; no Kansas location stated (published 2026-10-08 · checked 2026-10-08)
- ● Kansas Infrastructure Hub (Build Kansas Fund applications) · Portal on which Build Kansas Fund application packages are published (published 2026-10-08 · checked 2026-10-08)
- ● Kansas Register: South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad request for proposals · Notice published 6 February 2025 in the State's official register: Watco, for SKOL, seeks proposals for the Southeast Kansas Short Line Rail Upgrade and Growth Project (Neodesha Subdivision, mileposts 350.0 to 387.0, 49 crossings, 37 miles of welded rail and surfacing); KDOT project number cited; schedule with proposal due 26 March 2025 and award 11 April 2025 (published 2025-02-06 · checked 2026-10-08)
- ● KDOT testimony on House Bill 2335 (Rail Service Improvement Program) · KDOT Division of Policy testimony to the House Transportation Committee dated 10 February 2023: Short Line Rail Improvement Fund $5M a year for fiscal years 2021 to 2023, Rail Service Improvement Fund $5M a year, annual application and award tables, support for merging the two programmes. Read from the Legislature's PDF because ksdot.gov returns 403 (published 2023-02-10 · checked 2026-10-08)
- ○ KSN: A chance to comment on the plan for Kansas railroads · Television report of 22 June 2022 on KDOT's draft Kansas Rail Plan: more than 4,600 miles of active rail, four Class I railroads, 13 short lines and two switching and terminal railroads, 5.7 million Class I carloads and almost 162 thousand short-line carloads in 2020. Secondary; the plan itself is on ksdot.gov, which returns 403 (published 2022-06-22 · checked 2026-10-08)
- ○ KWCH: Kansas receives $27.5 million to reduce train collisions and blocked crossings · Television report of FRA's 5 June 2023 Railroad Crossing Elimination selections in Kansas: Wellington $8,864,725, Emporia $601,000, Olathe $17,987,495 (Woodland Road and Northgate Street overpass over BNSF). Secondary; FRA's own list returns 403 (published 2023-06-05 · checked 2026-10-08)
- ○ NARP: Key takeaways from last week's FRA grants · Advocacy summary of FRA's 14 August 2026 FY 2024-2026 Federal-State Partnership National selections (41 projects, 23 states); names Oklahoma and Texas items and no Kansas project. FRA's project summaries of 14 August 2026 (archive copy, read 8 October 2026) show no Kansas or Dodge City entry in the 40 of 41 projects that could be read; the Dodge City page still says the city 'has applied'. Secondary (published 2026-08-21 · checked 2026-10-08)
- ● City of Olathe 119th Street extension project page (web.archive.org copy) · City project page: contractor working on the 119th Street extension and BNSF bridge, completion expected early 2027; prints no contract value (published 2025-10-01 · checked 2026-10-08)
- ○ Progressive Railroading: BNSF opens intermodal facility at Kansas City logistics park · Trade-press report of 18 October 2013: grand opening of BNSF's Logistics Park Kansas City intermodal facility in Edgerton, Kansas, a $250 million facility with initial annual lift capacity of 500,000 units. Secondary; BNSF is private and no public tender attaches (published 2013-10-18 · checked 2026-10-08)
- ○ Trains: Kansas officials say extension of Heartland Flyer could cost up to $573 million · Trade-press report of KDOT's 11 December 2024 briefing: $311 million basic infrastructure ($175 million Kansas, $136 million Oklahoma), $573 million for 79-mph running; 198 miles on BNSF's route between Newton and Oklahoma City; Kansas Legislature had set aside $5 million. Secondary (published 2024-12-12 · checked 2026-10-08)
- ○ Trains: Kansas DOT awards $11.2 million for rail infrastructure projects · Trade-press report of KDOT's 2026 Rail Service Improvement Program awards: ten projects, 20 applications seeking more than $33.5 million, more than $5.3 million local match, project list with amounts. Secondary because ksdot.gov and the Governor's release return 403 to automated clients (published 2026-01-18 · checked 2026-10-08)
- ● USAspending: CRISI award to KDOT, Cimarron Valley Railroad · Award 69A36523420050CRSKS, $10,991,971 federal obligation, non-federal funding $4,000,000, 1 April 2023 to 31 January 2026; crossties, welds, rail, ballast and surfacing from Dodge City to Hugoton (published 2023-04-18 · checked 2026-10-08)
- ● USAspending: CRISI award to KDOT, Kyle Railroad Concordia Subdivision · Award 69A36523420150CRSKS, $9,367,113 federal obligation, non-federal funding $10,367,112, 1 June 2023 to 31 July 2027; 23.5 miles of 115-lb continuous welded rail between Beloit and Yuma Junction (published 2023-06-08 · checked 2026-10-08)
- ● USAspending: Railroad Crossing Elimination planning award, City of Liberal · Award 69A36525421560RCEKS, $1,639,520, signed 3 November 2025; Liberal CARES crossing analysis; below the floor (published 2025-11-03 · checked 2026-10-08)
- ● USAspending: CRISI award, Nebraska Kansas & Colorado Railway · Award 69A36522403490CRSNE, $4,505,542, signed 12 January 2023, to 15 August 2024; crosstie and surfacing work; below the US$5m floor (published 2023-01-12 · checked 2026-10-08)
- ● USAspending: CRISI award to KDOT, South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad Rehabilitation Project · Award 69A36521402770CRSKS, $29,570,583 federal obligation, non-federal funding $13,627,880, total funding $43,198,463, signed 3 June 2021, 1 May 2021 to 31 October 2026 (record last modified 26 May 2026) (published 2021-06-03 · checked 2026-10-08)
- ○ WIBW: Two Kansas railroad companies awarded $47 million in federal funding · Television report of the Governor's 3 October 2023 announcement of CRISI awards of up to $15,740,943 to Watco (eight battery locomotives, 20% match) and up to $31,225,484 to the South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad Neodesha Subdivision (about 37 miles of track; KDOT and SKOL 20% match). Secondary because the Governor's release returns 403 (published 2023-10-03 · checked 2026-10-08)
Browse: the Atlas · United States · players · events
Compiled by Watchtower to editorial standards the Managing Partner sets and enforces. Public record only — every datum carries its source.