Eastern Railroad Discussion > "Heartland Corridor construction under way"

Jan. 11 news from RAILWAY TRACK & STRUCTURES Magazine:
______________________________________________________

Heartland Corridor construction under way

The Heartland Corridor construction is getting under way, according to local newspapers. Work has begun to raise tunnels in Virginia and in southern West Virginia between Antler and Gordon, according to Norfolk Southern, which has been working with local, state and federal government officials on the project.

The Heartland Corridor project involves improvements in railways between the Virginia coast and Columbus, Ohio, so that trains can carry more goods. Tunnels will be raised so that trains can carry double-stacked containers. The public-private partnership also will include construction of three intermodal facilities for easier transfer of containers between rail, roadways, rivers and airways. One is planned for nearby Prichard, while two others are planned for Roanoke, Va., and Columbus.

Officials hope it will be completed in 2010.

An economic impact study was conducted by Global Insight on West Virginia's portion of the Heartland Corridor -- including the raised tunnels for double-stacked containers and the intermodal facility in Prichard. It suggested that the Prichard facility could create 700 to 1,000 new jobs in West Virginia and eventually bring about $12 million in annual savings for shippers into and out of West Virginia, said Patrick Donovan, director of the West Virginia Public Port Authority.

Senate Bill 569, approved by the General Assembly in 2007, provides $4.3 million per fiscal year through 2016. This first fiscal year, $2.15 million was allotted, but the following years, the full $4.3 million will be provided. NS has already put $49.5 million of its own money into the tunnel clearance project, with a $90 million match in federal funds. The tunnel clearance project is estimated at $151 million, Norfolk Southern says.

The Prichard facility will be owned by the state port authority, but it's likely to be a public-private agreement, Donovan said.

The TOFC/COFC facility south of Columbus appears to be ready to open.

Could you tell me what routes the Heartland Corridor will use so I could follow along as the updates keep coming in? I have SPV map books here and it would be fun to watch this develop.
Aaron 20

RRmemories Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Could you tell me what routes the Heartland
> Corridor will use so I could follow along as the
> updates keep coming in? I have SPV map books here
> and it would be fun to watch this develop.
> Aaron 20


There are 28 tunnels that are going to be receiving some manner of alteration. All are between Roanoke, Virginia and Kenova, West Virginia on NS' main line.

Antler and Gordon are tunnel names. Antler (there are two Antlers, numbers 1 and 2, with one being the more eastern of the two) is between Welch and Davy, West Virginia. Gordon is between Roderfield and Iaeger, West Virginia.

BobE

Once the Heartland Corridor opens, what will it do to NS' stock price?

Hard to say....depends on other factors.

BobE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There are 28 tunnels that are going to be
> receiving some manner of alteration.



29 on a technicality... they consider Huger to be two separate tunnels.

For those really interested in this project, the following URL is to the Federal Department of Transportation web site regarding this project.

http://www.efl.fhwa.dot.gov/projects-heartland-corridor.aspx

I took this picture in 1999, but wasn't sure exactly where I was when I took it. judging from the mile post (392) and the map on the Heartland corridor project website, I take it this is the east portal of West Vivian Tunnel at Kimball? Also, can someone give me the proper or local pronounciation of the town Iaeger WV?

---

junctiontower Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Also, can someone give me the proper or local
> pronounciation of the town Iaeger WV?

YEAH-GER.

Jeff H.

Robbman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BobE Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > There are 28 tunnels that are going to be
> > receiving some manner of alteration.
>
>
>
> 29 on a technicality... they consider Huger to be
> two separate tunnels.


IIRC, they were only going to alter one of the two.

BobE

BobE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Robbman Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > BobE Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > There are 28 tunnels that are going to be
> > > receiving some manner of alteration.
> >
> >
> >
> > 29 on a technicality... they consider Huger to
> be
> > two separate tunnels.
>
>
> IIRC, they were only going to alter one of the
> two.
>
> BobE




That was the Hatfield tunnel(s)... they're only doing main 2.

Robbman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BobE Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Robbman Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > BobE Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > There are 28 tunnels that are going to be
> > > > receiving some manner of alteration.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > 29 on a technicality... they consider Huger
> to
> > be
> > > two separate tunnels.
> >
> >
> > IIRC, they were only going to alter one of the
> > two.
> >
> > BobE
>
>
>
>
> That was the Hatfield tunnel(s)... they're only
> doing main 2.


So, it's 28 tunnels getting work, just like I said in the first place. Just like NS has repeatedly said, too.

BobE

To pay for Virginia's part of the "pubic/private" partnership, the legislature enacted additional traffic fines which can run into the $$ thousands. They're administrative fines only applicable to Virginia residents. Think hard about moving to the Commonwealth!
Forbes magazine: "Virginia, this year's lone newcomer to the list, instituted a $1,050 surcharge to state residents on top of its traditional $300 speeding fine in July. The law is designed to raise money for infrastructure projects throughout the state without raising taxes. Thankfully, the penalty only applies to locals."

> So, it's 28 tunnels getting work, just like I said
> in the first place. Just like NS has repeatedly
> said, too.
>
> BobE


All I'm saying is that because Huger Tunnel is two separate tunnels, each with it's own engineering prelim, contract, etc, it's actually 29 tunnels receiving work...

scwillis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> To pay for Virginia's part of the "pubic/private"
> partnership, the legislature enacted additional
> traffic fines which can run into the $$ thousands.
> They're administrative fines only applicable to
> Virginia residents. Think hard about moving to the
> Commonwealth!
> Forbes magazine: "Virginia, this year's lone
> newcomer to the list, instituted a $1,050
> surcharge to state residents on top of its
> traditional $300 speeding fine in July. The law is
> designed to raise money for infrastructure
> projects throughout the state without raising
> taxes. Thankfully, the penalty only applies to
> locals."


It's not for speeding... the abusive driver fees kick in for reckless driving, i.e, going 20mph over the posted limit or over 81mph on the interstate. The biggest issue to me (as a Virginia resident) is that becuase they're fees, not fines (which by law have to go to education, not transportation) they're not applicable to out-of-state drivers. Maybe when the general populace figures out that they're going to pay for transprtation regardless (we don't have a car-tax anymore... but you now pay more for vehicle inspection and county stickers...as well as a host of other vehicle related fees), they'll be more amenicable to an across the board tax.

Robbman Wrote:

it's actually 29 tunnels
> receiving work...



According to NS, it's 28.

"NORFOLK, VA. – Heavy machinery grinds away brick, concrete and solid rock as a railroad tunnel near Cowan, Va., gets its roof raised to accommodate taller trains. This is the beginning of a three-year engineering project to increase intermodal freight capacity by raising vertical clearances in ****28 tunnels**** on a Norfolk Southern rail line between the port of Hampton Roads, Va., and Chicago known as the Heartland Corridor. The first phase of the tunnel work began in October."

http://www.nscorp.com/nscportal/nscorp/Media/News%20Releases/2007/heartland.html

Every executive speech that mentioned the project for the last couple of years has used the number 28. I don't have time to dig out the files (so to speak), but the documentation that was net-posted in a few places and consistently listed 28 tunnels with work and one without.

So, I guess you should write a note to Wick and the PR staff and tell them that you know more than they do.

BobE

BobE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So, I guess you should write a note to Wick and
> the PR staff and tell them that you know more than
> they do.
>
> BobE


Or I could just tell him mext time I see him in a few months, but I'd rather be making the case for preservation of 8551 and possibly 6504 at the time. You're not comprehending what I'm saying, so I'll try to simplify it as best I can:

Huger Tunnel is TWO separate tunnels... i.e, two separate bores, one for each main, Huger Main 1 and Huger Main 2. Just like the TWIN tunnels that comprise Montgomery Tunnel, or the TWIN tunnels that comprise Hatfield Tunnel, there are TWIN tunnels comprising Huger Tunnel. In other words, Huger Tunnel is two individual tunnels. Each got it's own engineering prelim, it's own contract, etc.

If you just counted tunnel names and ignored the number of actual bores, it would be 28. If you count the number of bores, i.e, tunnels, it's 29.


In westbound order, here are the tunnels being worked on...

1. Cowan
2. Eggleston #1
3. Eggleston #2
4. Pembroke
5. Cooper
6. West Vivian
7. Big Four #1
8. Big Four #2
9. Huger Main 1
10. Huger Main 2
11. Welch
12. Hemphill #1
13. Hemphill #2
14. Antler #1
15. Antler #2
16. Twin Branch #1
17. Twin Branch #2
18. Vaughn
19. Roderfield
20. Laurel
21. Gordon
22. Glen Alum
23. Hatfield Main 2
24. Williamson
25. Big Sandy #1
26. Big Sandy #2
27. Big Sandy #3
28. Big Sandy #4
29. Big Sandy #7


A short visit to the EFLHD site mentioned above would also explains this...

Hi

This project is fun and of great interest. I looked at the map provided with the website offered and it seems to stop just west of Roanoke. I was trying to trace the way east. Looks like the route goes through Roanoke and Altavista to Abilene. From there through Petersburg southeast to Suffolk. From there to the water ports in Norfolk. Did I trace this correctly? How much of this is designated “Heartland”?

I noticed on SPV map book by Mike Walker that the name “Hampton Roads” appears on the north side of the bay near Newport News. This shows CSXT. So I’m figuring that the term “Hampton Roads” in the narrative that accompanies the map includes the Norfolk area as well? Just where is the east terminus of this Heartland Corridor? Perhaps it is not a specific place but a water port area?

Tracing west from Roanoke the map provided in the URL is pretty clear. Into West Virginia through Bluefield then turning northwest at Bluefield (Virginia). From there based on the appearance of the SPV map, it must be one wild twisting route through to Glen Hayes. [It goes through Matewan! Wasn't’t that in a movie?] I just can’t believe that they choose this route! How much of this is double track? Is the speed limit hampered by this convoluted path? What a cab video this would make!

The provided map ends at Big Sandy. It looks like the route continues (using SPV)through Portsmouth through Wakefield through Chillicoate to Columbus. Again how much of this is designated the Heartland Corridor?

SPV has the tunnels shown on enlargement area maps. Pretty neat! This project will hopefully have a good effect on the little coal towns. I have a pen pal in Ittman, WV near Welch.
{movie made there too?] Poverty is pretty common. But this project might make life better!

Aaron 20

Hope someone will reply to my post and we can all return to having fun on T.O. Aaron 20