Norfolk Southern’s Heartland Corridor officially opens

Norfolk Southern's Heartland Corridor - one of the most extensive railroad engineering projects in modern times and a template for public-private partnerships that strengthen the nation's transportation infrastructure - officially opened for business Sept. 9.

A ceremony at the railroad’s
recently enlarged Cowan Tunnel near Radford, Va., marked the occasion, as
Norfolk Southern Train 233 pulled through at 11 a.m. with a consist of 148
double-stack containers moving to the Midwest. Train 233 paused near the
3,302-foot tunnel’s western portal, where it was greeted by the corridor’s
partners, designers and builders, as well as news media and NS officers and
employees.

"This is a remarkable
achievement, and it marks a notable date in transportation history," NS CEO
Wick Moorman told the group. "Together we have shown what can be accomplished
when the right partners work together for the right goals. The Heartland
Corridor’s completion is not an end but rather the start of an era of new
thinking, new resolve and new optimism in which business, communities, and the
public sector find creative ways to power the American economy."

The Heartland Corridor is a
public-private partnership between NS and Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and the
federal government to create the shortest, fastest route for double-stack
container trains moving between the Port of Virginia and the Midwest. The new
routing improves transit time from Norfolk, Va., to Chicago from four days to
three and is nearly 250 miles shorter than previous circuitous routings.

To achieve that, NS raised
vertical clearances on 28 tunnels and removed 24 overhead obstacles on one of
its main lines connecting the Mid-Atlantic to the Midwest. Construction began
in Oct. 2007 and involved modifying 5.7 miles of tunnels through roof
excavation and liner replacement, arched roof notching, and track lowering and
realignment.

The line dates back to the
late 19th Century and traditionally has carried mostly coal traffic. Today, the
Heartland Corridor improvements provide more capacity, speed and reliability
not just for coal trains, but also for the 20-foot, three-inch-high container
trains that carry a diverse range of products required for international
commerce and consumer demand.

On behalf of Virginia
Governor Bob McDonnell, Secretary of Transportation Sean T. Connaughton said, "The
Heartland Corridor will significantly advance Virginia’s economy and
transportation network. This project will improve the economic competitiveness
of the Port of Virginia and spur economic development in Southside and Southwest
Virginia through new intermodal facilities. The strong partnership between
Norfolk Southern and the Commonwealth continues to move Virginia into the
future."

The Heartland Corridor and
Norfolk Southern’s other public-private partnerships, such as the Crescent
Corridor program of improvements to infrastructure and other facilities through
13 states from Louisiana to New Jersey, also offer a number of social benefits.

"The U.S. Department of
Transportation is proud to be a partner, along with Ohio, West Virginia, and
Virginia, in making this historic project a reality. The Heartland Corridor
will reduce highway congestion and fuel consumption, while improving air
quality and transportation safety. For too long, rail has been the forgotten
mode, but this celebration shows it is more indispensable than ever as an
integral part of our national transportation system. On behalf of President
Obama and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, we congratulate Norfolk
Southern on its completion and inauguration," said Joseph C. Szabo, Federal Railroad
Administrator.

Today’s program at Cowan
Tunnel was one of three events related to the Heartland opening. An open house
on Sept. 8 at the Rickenbacker Intermodal Terminal in Columbus, Ohio,
highlighted the freight transfer facility that serves as the corridor’s western
anchor. A gathering on Sept. 13 in Prichard, W.Va., will feature one of the
first eastbound intermodal trains on the route.

"Demand for rail freight
service in the U.S. is expected to nearly double by 2035, and that’s on a
national transportation network that everyone agrees already is sorely
stressed," Moorman reminded the Cowan Tunnel group. "As recently as several
years ago, the crystal ball was too cloudy to provide a roadmap for meeting the
coming challenges. Now, the Heartland Corridor provides a clear and workable
vision of the way forward."