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Count Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell among the supporters of CSX Corp.’s proposed National Gateway public/private partnership (PPP).
 
During an event held Friday at a CSX Intermodal terminal in Chambersburg, Pa., Rendell stated his backing for the double-stack intermodal routes CSX hopes to establish between three Mid-Atlantic ports and the Midwest.

The National Gateway would include another new intermodal terminal in the greater Pittsburgh area, and help reduce highway congestion, fuel usage and air emissions in the state, CSX said.
 
"This [Chambersburg] terminal is a prime example of the kind of economic growth that comes from investing in our infrastructure," said Rendell, according to a press release. "I look forward to a national partnership so we can design and implement strategies for smarter, environmentally friendly, more cost-effective infrastructure investment, such as through groundbreaking public-private partnerships."
 
The $700 billion National Gateway PPP includes CSX — which would fund half the gateway’s costs — six states, local governments, logistics companies and economic development agencies.

The National Gateway calls for upgrading three existing rail corridors that run through Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia: the I-70/I-76 Corridor between Washington, D.C,. and northwest Ohio via Pittsburgh; the I-95 Corridor between North Carolina and Baltimore via Washington, D.C.; and the Carolina Corridor between Wilmington and Charlotte, N.C. CSX plans to build or expand several intermodal terminals and work with state and federal agencies to create double-stack clearances, such as by modifying tunnels and bridges.
 
"The challenge of meeting our nation's surface transportation needs is too big for any single industry — never mind any single company — to accomplish independently," said CSX Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Ward.