National Gateway's first phase now complete

The first phase of the National Gateway has been completed on time and on budget, CSX Corp. and its National Gateway coalition partners announced yesterday.

Launched in 2008, the National Gateway is an $850 million public-private partnership initiative designed to alleviate freight bottlenecks in the Midwest by creating a double-stack route for intermodal shipments moving between that region and mid-Atlantic ports.

The first phase created double-stack access between CSX's existing terminal in Chambersburg, Pa., and a new, state-of-the-art hub facility in northwest Ohio.

The program's first phase was funded through a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER, grant secured by the state of Ohio on behalf of the coalition.

"This is great news for our nation's transportation infrastructure, our customers and the communities we serve," said CSX Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Ward in a prepared statement. "While this is a significant milestone, our work is not done."

Now, the coalition will focus on phase two of the National Gateway, which calls for creating double-stack clearances between Chambersburg and the ports of Baltimore and Virginia.