NS gets the green to proceed on double-stack clearance project in Ohio
Written by jrood
America's growing economy moves more and more freight on rails and Ohio is increasingly one of the critical links to keep those goods rolling. Already nearing completion of its Heartland Corridor between Chicago, Columbus and the Port of Norfolk, Va., Norfolk Southern is extending the corridor's reach to Cincinnati.
NS has been given the
official notice by the Ohio Rail Development Commission to proceed with
engineering and construction on their Columbus to Cincinnati line to accommodate
double-stack container trains.
The nearly $6.1-million
project will involve increasing clearances at five locations between Columbus and
Sharonville, and adding tracks at the Rickenbacker intermodal facility. The
project is funded in part with $3.6-million from the American Recovery &
Reinvestment Act, along with matching funding from both Norfolk Southern and
the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments.
But the project is about
much more than making sure bridges and other structures are at the right height
for trains to pass.
"The double stack clearance
projects are essential because they remove trucks from the I-71 and I-75
corridors in southwest Ohio," said OKI Executive Director Mark Policinski. "These
projects reduce air pollution and congestion while, at the same time, improving
our ability to compete in global markets. OKI is proud to have originated the
partnership with Norfolk Southern and ORDC that delivers so many benefits.
"It’s this kind of
public-private investment in our rail network that enhances Ohio’s already
strategic position as a distribution and logistics hub for both North America
and the world," echoed ORDC Executive Director Matt Dietrich. "The return on
this investment is the economic development and jobs that grow around these
intermodal freight hubs as we have already seen around the NS Rickenbacker
Intermodal Yard."
Ohio is strategically
positioned to satisfy the growing demand for high-quality intermodal freight
service throughout the Midwest," said Mike McClellan, NS vice president
intermodal marketing. "The Heartland Corridor West extension to Cincinnati
leverages our Heartland Corridor and the success of our Rickenbacker intermodal
facility in Columbus, creating new opportunities for shippers while at the same
time delivering significant economic and environmental benefits throughout
Ohio, northern Kentucky and southern Indiana."
