Eastern Railroad Discussion > Martinsville & Lynchburg, VA Questions

How many trains per day does NS run through Martinsville, VA? Where does that line go south of Martinsville?

Also, it looks like on the map in the post about Amtrak Roanoke service there is an NS line that goes southeast from Lynchburg. How many trains per day use it and where does it go?

Thank you in advance.

Regarding Martinsville, that is the Winston-Salem District and the following trains run on that line:

272 Kansas City, MO - Walkertown, NC daily
27V Walkertown, NC - Fairlane, OH Sun-Fri
V77 Payne, VA - Belews Creek, NC Mon-Fri turn
V79 Payne, VA - Winston-Salem, NC Mon-Fri turn

Coal, Grain, & Ethanol trains.

That is the Norfolk Southern Railway Company former Norfolk & Western Durham (NC) Line that now ends in Roxboro, NC.   Main business purpose is (was?) the Hyco (Roxboro), Mayo, and Clover power plants (on a former Southern Railway line) near the VA / NC border.   Unit coal loads come east from Roanoke, VA, on the former Virginain low-grade mainline to Brookneal, VA.  That line once went to Sewell's Point in Norfolk, but now connects to former N&W at Abilene, VA for the run to Lambert's Point in Norfolk. At Brookneal the Durham Line passed under the Virginian, and when the power plant boom occured in the 1960's (nicely timed for the then recent VGN / N&W merger) a SW quad connection was built between the two lines.  MT's can return to Roanoke and points west in the coal fields by either that connection, or historically more frequently by going all the way to Lynchburg, and then travel west through Bedford and the summit of the grade at Blue Ridge to Roanoke.  This was the historical routing when EB export volume was high on the former VGN.  The Durham Line is fairly scenic and photogenic and generally follows US-501.  IMHO this is an often overlooked line from a fan perspective!