WASHINGTON (AP) - The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been awarded $1.4 million in federal funding to support its rail transportation and engineering research center.

 

The money will help fund research on vehicle engineering, risk mitigation and systems integration.

 

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and other U.S. lawmakers from Illinois announced the award in a statement released in Washington.

 

Durbin said that "Illinois remains the heart of our national rail network thanks to our ability to innovate and adapt to modern freight and passenger needs."

 

He says the U of I's National University Rail Center has played "a critical role in meeting the rapid growth" of the rail sector.

 

The center is a multi-university consortium established last year through a $3.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.