NS improves service, infrastructure on former Delaware & Hudson line

Norfolk Southern Corp. yesterday marked the first anniversary of its acquisition of the Delaware & Hudson Railway Co.'s line between Sunbury, Pa., and Schenectady, N.Y.

During the past year, NS has improved customer service and invested in infrastructure in the corridor, according to an NS press release. The Class I installed 90,000 new ties, resurfaced 84 miles of track, and made improvements to the Belden Tunnel in New York.

In addition, NS hired 166 new employees, including 140 former Delaware & Hudson workers.

Service improvements, including an average eight daily trains, have helped attract additional rail traffic and shifted long-haul trucks off roadways. NS intermodal terminals at Ayer, Mass., and Scranton, Pa., have seen double-digit volume growth during the past year, NS officials said.

NS acquired 282 miles of Delaware & Hudson track for $214.4 million from Canadian Pacific. The line connects to NS's network at Sunbury and Binghamton, N.Y., as well as to its joint venture subsidiary Pan Am Southern at Mechanicville, N.Y.

Together, the Pan Am Southern network, which serves New England markets, and the former Delaware & Hudson line provide NS with a single-line route linking Chicago and southeastern U. S. markets to the capital region of New York.