Work is nearing completion on Norfolk Southern Railway’s Heartland Corridor and NS officials expect to begin operating double-stack trains on the 1,200-mile intermodal route next month.
Funded through a public-private partnership between NS, the federal government and states of Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia, the corridor project calls for raising clearances on 28 tunnels and removing 24 other obstructions on a route between Norfolk, Va., and Columbus, Ohio.
Construction started in fall 2007 and 25 of 28 tunnel projects have been completed, with work on the three remaining tunnels well under way.
The Heartland Corridor will provide a faster, more efficient intermodal route between the Port of Hampton Roads and markets in Columbus, Chicago and other major cities, according to NS. The Class I plans to offer next-day service between Norfolk and Columbus, and second-day service between Norfolk and Chicago.
Source: Progressive Railroading Daily News
