Norfolk Southern to spend $200M on Alabama rail infrastructure

Norfolk Southern Railway yesterday announced it will invest more than $200 million on a key rail line in Alabama. The 3B Corridor connects markets in northern and central Alabama to the Port of Mobile.

NS’ investment positions the line to accommodate expected growth in several sectors, company officials said in a press release.

The corridor represents an important segment of NS’ annual traffic, serving critical industries like agriculture, automotive, chemicals, forestry and steel.

"Together with our customers, we are anticipating where markets are heading, and positioning to deliver on their supply chain needs now and into the future," said NS President and CEO Alan Shaw. "These investments will bring immediate returns as they make rail an even more competitive part of our nation's supply chain and expand our customers end-to-end solutions." The world needs 

The project involves terminal and track-based infrastructure improvements, including capacity projects in central and southwest Alabama, customer-specific projects in north Alabama and locations north of Mobile, yard upgrades in Wilton and a series of grade crossing improvements throughout the region.

NS now is collaborating on a project to allow a high-volume met coal customer to take advantage of the expanded 3B Corridor. This new premium met coal production facility, set to be developed in 2025, will help power global production of metals products, especially for essential infrastructure projects, for decades to come, NS officials said.

Another customer, Packaging Corp. of America, recently expanded its paper mill located along the corridor, partnering with NS on the project. An overview of NS’ business impact on the state can be viewed here.