Heartland Corridor
Encyclopedia
The Heartland Corridor is a public-private partnership
between the Norfolk Southern Railway
(NS) and the Federal Highway Administration
and three US states to improve railroad freight operations.
The $150 million plan was developed to facilitate more efficient travel on NS rail lines between the Norfolk, Virginia
port region and two Midwest destinations—Chicago, Illinois and Columbus, Ohio
. One of the project goals was to increase clearances in tunnels to permit the operation of double-stack intermodal
trains, increasing the capacity of rail lines, shortening rail journeys and reducing tractor-trailer traffic. New shipping terminals for intermodal connections are also planned for key locations.
Construction began in 2007, and the route opened for double stack service on September 9, 2010.
The project involved raising clearances in 28 tunnels and 24 other overhead obstacles. A total of around 5.7 miles (9.2 km) of tunnels were modified. When completed, the new routing was expected to reduce travel times from port facilities in Virginia to Chicago to three days, improving on the previous four-day travel time and to reduce the distance traveled by 250 miles (402.3 km).
In June 2010, NS announced that it had reached an agreement with Ohio to extend a leg of the Heartland Corridor southwesterly from Columbus
to Cincinnati, which is located on the Ohio River
near the border where Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana converge. The $6.1 million dollar cost will be funded with federal economic stimulus funds and the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments, plus money from NS.
Public-private partnership
Public–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...
between the Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
(NS) and the Federal Highway Administration
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two "programs," the Federal-aid Highway Program and the Federal Lands Highway Program...
and three US states to improve railroad freight operations.
The $150 million plan was developed to facilitate more efficient travel on NS rail lines between the Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
port region and two Midwest destinations—Chicago, Illinois and Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. One of the project goals was to increase clearances in tunnels to permit the operation of double-stack intermodal
Intermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation , without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and...
trains, increasing the capacity of rail lines, shortening rail journeys and reducing tractor-trailer traffic. New shipping terminals for intermodal connections are also planned for key locations.
Construction began in 2007, and the route opened for double stack service on September 9, 2010.
The project involved raising clearances in 28 tunnels and 24 other overhead obstacles. A total of around 5.7 miles (9.2 km) of tunnels were modified. When completed, the new routing was expected to reduce travel times from port facilities in Virginia to Chicago to three days, improving on the previous four-day travel time and to reduce the distance traveled by 250 miles (402.3 km).
In June 2010, NS announced that it had reached an agreement with Ohio to extend a leg of the Heartland Corridor southwesterly from Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
to Cincinnati, which is located on the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
near the border where Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana converge. The $6.1 million dollar cost will be funded with federal economic stimulus funds and the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments, plus money from NS.
See also
- National GatewayNational GatewayNational Gateway is a multi-stage railroad construction project in the United States promoted by CSX Transportation, a unit of CSX Corporation. It is designed to improve rail connections between ports in the U.S. mid-Atlantic seaboard and the Midwest by upgrading bridges and tunnels to allow taller...
- proposed railroad improvement project by CSX TransportationCSX TransportationCSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles... - Norfolk Southern Crescent CorridorNorfolk Southern Crescent CorridorThe Crescent Corridor is a railroad corridor expansion program that will be operated by the Norfolk Southern Railway . The line, proposed by NS in 2007, will run along Interstate 81. It will be a major intermodal corridor running between Louisiana and New Jersey.-Project overview:NS plans for the...
- proposed railroad project running between Louisiana and New Jersey - Virginia Port AuthorityVirginia Port AuthorityThe Virginia Port Authority is an autonomous agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia that owns the Port of Virginia...
operator of 3 major port terminals on the harbor of Hampton RoadsHampton RoadsHampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States... - Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency ProgramChicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency ProgramThe Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program is a project to improve the efficiency of the rail network in the Chicago area by building, amongst other things, flyovers to separate rail traffic on conflicting lines...
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