HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The efforts of the city and other to land a federal grant for track improvement to the rail line served by Amtrak has come to fruition. Work began yesterday on the BNSF rail line from Hutchinson to just west of Plevna.

The money was acquired from a Tiger Grant which came about from cities in Kansas, New Mexico and Colorado to renovate the line. Amtrak and BNSF had said in the past that if the line was left as is, they would move the passenger train to the “Transcon” route eliminating service to western Kansas and Colorado.

The project includes removing the current jointed rail and replacing it with continuous rail which does not have joints. When completed the continuous rail will stretch all the way through Kansas out west to just before Dodge City. Work is expected to be done on that portion of the rial in the future, and another application for federal funds is in the works to keep the renovation going.

The work is closing off some intersections along the line in Reno County. Both Illinois and Whiteside Roads are closed for a couple of days and other crossings will also close while work is being done by BNSF.