NS Engineering Team Completes Infrastructure Upgrades in Illinois and Indiana

NS Engineering team replaced a plate girder bridge near Lafayette, Indiana.

Courtesy of Norfolk Southern

DECATUR, Ill. - Norfolk Southern's Engineering team has completed major infrastructure upgrades in 30 hours across two states last November.

This work comes as part of the Class I’s $1 billion annual investment in its network. At two sites in Illinois and Indiana, NS’ Engineering team “demonstrated exceptional dedication and resilience to safely complete these projects in very challenging weather conditions,” said VP of Engineering Ed Boyle. Boyle continued, “The entire Midwest Division Operations team and the Network Operations Center collaborated seamlessly to successfully complete these two critical projects with minimal impact to our customers. . . These projects not only strengthen our infrastructure but are also designed to provide long-term value and service reliability for many years to come.”

The Decatur Terminal, the largest flat yard in America, spans 3.6 miles in central Illinois and is where the team worked during a 30-hour service outage. During this time, they replaced eight switches on the critical switching ladder on the west end. NS says these switches are “equipped with power actuators controlled by yardmasters” and “are key to enabling more efficient switching operations.” Located in a challenging area, crews had to deal with limited access. Additionally, the Communications and Signals team worked to ensure a “seamless integration.” Some of the individuals who worked on the project include Assistant Superintendent, Midwest Division, Bryce Diffenderfer; Track Supervisor, Keith Shelton; and Engineer of Track, James Roark.

Near Lafayette, Indiana, another team worked on replacing a 124-year-old plate girder bridge. NS says this work is part of its “ongoing efforts to modernize and strengthen NS’ infrastructure.” The Network Operations Center (NOC) re-routed trains and utilized other methods during the outage to minimize delays. The crew used a 220-ton crane to remove the old track panel and span before making modifications to the backwalls. NS says then new precast concrete sections were set at each abutment, and the crane “then carefully lifted and rotated the new bridge structure 90 degrees before lowering it onto the new bridge seat.” After it was in place, crews flooded the bridge with ballast, and a 60-foot-long track panel completed the replacement. At this site, Bridge Supervisor Jeremy Dubson and Engineer of Bridges & Structures Michael Waldon spent time planning and preparing for the work.

Additionally, NOC Coordinator Matthew Newman and the Midwest Division team worked to coordinate and execute these efforts. The NOC worked with the support of road foreman of engines Mike Bruce, Mike Short, and Nolan Wilson to keep operations moving and minimize delays. Below is a gallery of images courtesy of Norfolk Southern showcasing the work that took place.