Eastern Railroad Discussion > CSX Worcester Main Upgrade - Agriculture Branch Bridge update

To enable Norfolk Southern's planned Chicago-Ayer, MA double stack intermodal train re-route from the Pan Am Southern route though the limited clearance Hoosac Tunnel, CSX and NS have made numerous improvements to the ex-B&M Worcester Main between CSX main at CP-45 Worcester and Hill Yard Ayer. One of those improvements was raising and then replacing the original ~100 year old girder bridge on CSX's ex-New Haven Agriculture Branch (Framingham - Leominster) to accommodate double stacks. The Ag Branch has seen recent traffic growth in the form of new C&D haulage from WIN Waste Innovations at Leominster and Framingham-based locals cross this bridge 3-5 times per week.

Photo 1 taken on September 2, 2024 shows a "before" view of one of the two original spans - some sort of paint has been applied to the center  pier supports in anticipation of encasing the pier in concrete. 

Photo 2 was taken on December 13, 2024 as the process of gradually raising the old spans in increments that permitted CSX locals to use the bridge over the course of the month or so it took to gain 2-3 feet of clearance. Temporary beams were placed on both sides of the spans on concrete blocks on the pier and abutments to permit the spans to be jacked up. And in concert with the gradual raising of the bridge CSX was building up the bridge approaches with additional stone.

But in early 2025, CSX decided that it was best to replace the original spans with two new spans fabricated by the CSX Bridgeworks shop in Barboursville WV. Photo 3 taken on March 27, 2025 shows the two new spans staged on the ground to right of a monster crane that will remove the old spans and install the new ones over the course of a long weekend.  

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Photos 4 - 6 were taken April 9, 2025 a few days after the new spans had been installed and Ag Branch train service had been restored. The new bridge spans rest on rebuilt abutments and bridge pier and the old spans lie on the graound where they will be cut up and hauled away. The new span proudly wears a builder plate that features the CSX boxcar logo Bridgeshop Barboursville WV 2025.

While NS is funding all the double stack clearance projects on the Worcester Main between Worcester and Ayer, I believe CSX funded this bridge upgrade as part of its rehab of the entire Ag Branch that included new CWR, ties, and stone. As of this point in time, all double stack clearance projects north of the short P&W segment in Worcester have been completed. There will be a separate posting about clearance work in progress on the P&W in downtown Worcester scheduled for May completion. Rumor has it that NS expects to inaugurate double stack service to Ayer by July 1, 

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Glad to see the New England area getting some rail infrastructure improvements along the rusty Boston & Maine line.  Norfolk Southern sure is putting some $$$ into the project.

Great coverage.

I wonder if replacing the structure was lawys the plan, and they jacked up and used the existing structure to keep the branch in service until the new bridge fabrication was completed?

That's an amazing transformation - thanks for documenting.