NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Biden administration announced Monday that it will invest more than $31 million in funds to improve two railroad projects in Tennessee. 

According to the administration, a big chunk of the money comes from the 2021 infrastructure law. In fact, more than 1.4 billion of the funding that was awarded to states nationwide will go toward 70 rail improvement projects in the 35 states and Washington D.C. 

In a release, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the projects help get people and goods where they need to be safely and quickly.

“These projects will make American rail safer, more reliable, and more resilient, delivering tangible benefits to dozens of communities where railroads are located, and strengthening supply chains for the entire country,” said USDOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg. 

In Tennessee, $31.11 million in federal funds will be used for the improvement of two railroad projects.  

The first project aims to upgrade the state’s short-line rail network as part of the Tennessee Short Line Bridge Bundle Project. Funding will go toward upgrading or replacing 42 bridges along ten different short-line railroads that need immediate repair or replacement. More than $23 million will be provided for this project, according to the administration. 

Around $7.3 million will help fund the Tennken Revitalization and Safety Improvement Project. The project involves the final design and construction for various track improvements on TKEN’s mail rail line, which is in parts of Tennessee and Kentucky. 

Earlier this year, the Biden administration awarded $27 million to the state of Tennessee in hopes to reduce train-vehicle collisions and improve the safety of railroad crossings. 

The administration stated that the majority of the funding provided nationwide will improve projects that support freight rail safety and supply chains. However, some investments aim to expand world-class passenger rail to more communities across the country.