Connector track promises fewer train delays
Written by jrood
Greenville, N.C., officials will break ground on a railway connector track Nov. 30 that should relieve the majority of traffic backups caused by the railroad switching station, The Daily Reflector reports. Vehicles are held up as often as three times daily on Arlington Boulevard, 14th and Evans streets while trains change direction in that area.
"The city grew up around
the rail yard by Howell Street," said Public Works Director Wes Anderson. "There
was never an easy way for southbound trains to turn east and vice versa.
"As a result, rail cars
have had to block several important roads as they maneuvered into position to
make the turn, causing major delays," he said. "Once this phase of the project
is done, trains will be able to make that turn much faster and easier, and
those long delays should mostly be a thing of the past."
City officials estimate
85 percent of traffic delays will be eliminated with the installation of this
connector track.
The project has been in
the works for years and is a partnership among the city, the N.C. DOT, CSX
Transportation, Norfolk Southern and Carolina Coastal Railway. Those entities
are funding the project, aided by a $967,000 federal grant received largely
through the efforts of Rep. Walter B. Jones Jr., R-N.C.
Construction is slated to
begin in early December and should be completed by mid-March. The entire
railroad switching yard will eventually be moved north of the city off N.C.
903. The connector is a preliminary fix.
