MATTAWAMKEAG, Maine (AP) A railway company has been awarded nearly $17 million in federal money to make improvements that will boost freight rail in central and eastern Maine.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins says the money from the U.S. Department of Transportation is going to Springfield Terminal Railway Company.

Collins says the funds will help improve safety, efficiency and reliability for freight rail in Penobscot, Somerset, Waldo and Kennebec counties.

Collins says improvements to rail are especially important for the state’s manufacturers and shippers.

She says the money is for infrastructure upgrades and rail crossing safety improvements.