Eastern Railroad Discussion > NS & CSX 2022 Capital Budget & Plans per Trains Magazine

The past few days, Trains Magazine on-line has posted a few articles re: various RRs' 2022 capital spending plans as captured from presenters at the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association Conference. Here are excerpts re: NS and CSX plans for 2022:

1.) Norfolk Southern (presenter VP of Engineering Ed Boyle): 
"...Boyle said plans for 2022 include six 15,000-foot siding projects, at Arabi and Fargo, Ga.; Wilton and Jackson, Ala.; Campbellstown, Ohio, and Max Meadows, Va., as well as a second main line at Calverton, Va. Those follow four 15,000-foot siding extensions completed in 2021, along with upgrades to a yard lead in Cincinnati.“We’re focusing on corridors where we have seen significant growth,” Boyle said.Chicago facilities will draw most of the attention planned for intermodal upgrades, with craneway improvements and pad track rehabilitation at the 47th Street terminal, pad track work at the Landers intermodal facility, and the third phase of expansion at the Calumet intermodal facility. Charlotte’s intermodal facility will see the second phase of its expansion, while the Mason Mega Rail project will continue at the Port of Savannah, along with work at the inland port in Northeast Georgia..."

2.) CSX (presenter Ed Sparks, chief engineer, bridges, design & construction):
 - Baltimore's Howard St Tunnel double stack clearance improvment and related projects north to Philadelphia - construction contracts to be awarded and work to start by Q3 2022. "...The goal is to have achieved clearances in 2024 coming from the north, from Philadelphia and the Port of Baltimore,” Sparks said, “and in ’25, getting through Howard Street Tunnel to get to the Port of Baltimore from the South."
- "...In all, [Virginia] projects worth more than $3 billion are taking shape in Phase 1. CSX is taking the lead on five of those — a fourth main track through Alexandria, a third track from Franconia to Lorton, and three sidings — valued at more than $1 billion. The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority is out front on $2 billion worth, including the Potomac Long Bridge, a Franconia-Springfield bypass, and six stations either proposed or set for upgrades..."
- "...Efforts are also continuing to advance CSX-related work that is part of Chicago’s CREATE project, most significantly the South Side’s Forest Hill Flyover (P3 in the CREATE naming system), which will address one of the region’s most notorious bottlenecks, the cluster of diamonds where CSX and its Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal cross the Belt Railway of Chicago and Norfolk Southern, the latter of which hosts Metra commuter service. Other ongoing CREATE projects include grade-crossing separation projects adjacent to the 59th Street facility; and Dolton Interlocking, which involves C&O and its B&OCT, Indiana Harbor Belt, Union Pacific, and NS, which should go out to bid later this year."
- "...Also to come: “an aggressive capital campaign” on New England’s Pan Am Railway, if the CSX purchase of Pan Am passes muster with the Surface Transportation Board; a new intermodal container yard at 63rd Street in Chicago, adjacent to the 59th Street terminal, which should be done this year; and five siding extensions, plus a project in Montgomery, Ala., including both a siding extension and work on Chester Yard."

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/22 04:29 by JPB.

Thank you for the information!

The "Calverton second main track" is being paid for by Virginia as part of the deal to have a second Amtrak NE Regional extended to Roanoke and eventually the New River Valley near Blacksburg.  The second Roanoke train is supposed to start later this year with the extension to the New River Valley in a few years.

Jim

 

I’m curious about that CSX work in Montgomery, especially the comment about Chester yard. Last year CSX removed most of the yard tracks in Chester. Could they be putting them back???

Does anyone know if slides from these presentations are available online to look at as they might provide more detail than what Trains Mag. reported out?

Has any work been done at the Chicago 75th St. "flyover"?
The politically staged ribbon-cutting was years ago.
 

I am surprised CSXT is putting any money into RF&P capacity since they sold it to the state of Virginia. I figured everything done to the line would be dictated by the state.

Englewood Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Has any work been done at the Chicago 75th St.
> "flyover"?
> The politically staged ribbon-cutting was years
> ago.
>  

yes, grading for relocating the CSX mains and wye's has been completed.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/22 08:24 by ERAD.

Does anybody know what work is in store for Dolton IL?

The Commonwealth of Virginia only purchased a 50% interest in the former RF&P.  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/22 09:38 by Ex127So.

Arabi and Fargo are on the Jacksonville line. Wilton and Jackson are on the Mobile line. No relief for Meridian-Tuscaloosa-B'ham-Atlanta.

I think the longest train that can be passed at Chester is currently about 9000 feet. They could get another 4000 feet or so by extending a siding southward to N Court St.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/22 06:21 by ctillnc.