Eastern Railroad Discussion > CSX former L&N North-South Routes

Of the north-south former L&N lines, is one is busier than the other?  These are the Cincinnati to Atlanta line via Knoxville and the Evansville to Atlanta line via Nashville.  Could CSX look to downgrade either one of these routes or spin off one of these to a short line?  What is the physical shape of each?

Evansville-Nashville-Chattanooga-Atlanta is much busier than Cincinnati-Atlanta. I understand CSX is looking to downgrade the line through Corbin.

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Cincinnati - Corbin - Atlanta is already being down graded.  It has already lost it's intermodal traffic and most of it's automotive traffic.  What traffic left will be rerouted soon.  Will leave nothing but a few coal trainfs a day, a few phosphate trains a week, and an occasional ethanol and grain train.  Of course, the shop complex in Corbin is already closed.  My guess is CSXT downgrades to 25 but hangs onto it, selling (leasing) off a lot of the branches. 

I don't have the map of the new core system in front of me, but I believe Nashville-Birmingham will do alright in the CSX of Tomorrow unless the Atlanta terminal becomes decongested. Birmingham-Montgomery, wouldn't surprise me if this segment is downgraded. Montgomery-Flomaton is probably safe. Flomaton-Mobile-New Orleans is safe.

ctillnc Wrote:
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> I don't have the map of the new core system in
> front of me, but I believe Nashville-Birmingham
> will do alright in the CSX of Tomorrow unless the
> Atlanta terminal becomes
> decongested. Birmingham-Montgomery, wouldn't
> surprise me if this segment is downgraded.
> Montgomery-Flomaton is probably safe.
> Flomaton-Mobile-New Orleans is safe.

With a New Intermodal facility in the future for Mobile AL & the Grain coming from South America I really dont see the S&NA South getting downgraded anytime soon.

Note the Dothan Sub has been downgraded to 25mph and only runs locals last I heard.

Now that EHH is in charge, not sure what may happen...I'd say all routes are being reevaluated...

CG Tower




scraphauler Wrote:
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> Cincinnati - Corbin - Atlanta is already being
> down graded.  It has already lost it's intermodal
> traffic and most of it's automotive traffic. 
> What traffic left will be rerouted soon.  Will
> leave nothing but a few coal trainfs a day, a few
> phosphate trains a week, and an occasional ethanol
> and grain train.  Of course, the shop complex in
> Corbin is already closed.  My guess is CSXT
> downgrades to 25 but hangs onto it, selling
> (leasing) off a lot of the branches. 

That's why I said Mobile-Montgomery is probably safe, and I would put Montgomery-Atlanta (not ex-L&N) in the same category. However, traffic between Flomaton and points in the Carolinas or the northeast is subject to diversion via Baldwin and Savannah. Longer but flatter and less congestion than the Atlanta terminal (assuming the trains can avoid Rice Yard).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/17 10:06 by ctillnc.

I'm sure EHH wants to get rid of as many hump yards as possible.  Since Atlanta is mainly an intermodal city and Boyles has traditionally competed with Tilford on north/south traffic, I'd say that Tilford is a candidate for dehumping.  Actually if he can get either Osborn in Louisville or Radnor in Nashville to do what he wants, Boyles could go also (however, Birmingham handles LOTS of local and interchanged traffic, so maybe logic will prevail here),
One problem that has vexed CSX since its inception is multiple handling of non-unit non-intermodal freight cars along the L&N, so maybe he'll figure out a way that Waycross (the biggest yard on the system) can block for all of the southeast, Boyles or Radnor for all  of the Midsouth, and have BRC in Chicago and A&S or TRRA in St Louis block all the way to Waycross or Rador/Boyles so the other yards can be downgraded.
Just my two cents!
Andy

ctillnc Wrote:
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> That's why I said Mobile-Montgomery is probably
> safe, and I would put Montgomery-Atlanta (not
> ex-L&N) in the same category. However, traffic
> between Flomaton and points in the Carolinas or
> the northeast is subject to diversion via Baldwin
> and Savannah. Longer but flatter and less
> congestion than the Atlanta terminal (assuming the
> trains can avoid Rice Yard).

Just to pass it on to you the S&NA South is from Birmingham to Montgomery the  M&M is Montgomery to Mobile the S&NA North is Birmingham to Nashville  

Thanks. Montgomery native, but I don't use those abbreviations often because most people don't know what they stand for.