Norfolk Southern Friday began running test trains on its upgraded Heartland Corridor between Chicago and Norfolk, Va. NS says the upgraded route has been reduced 250 miles, while improvements such as clearances for doublestack intermodal traffic will contribute to reduced fuel costs and travel times as well.
Our goal strategically is to provide as many opportunities for steamship partners, said Jeff Heller, NS group vice president, International, in an interview. Heller said NS has no intention of dictating how its shipping clients should access the Norfolk Southern rail network (via either West Coast or East Coast ports of call), but that providing another point of access to the network would be well received by many shippers, especially as the Panama Canal expansion begins allowing the new generation of monster freighters through its locks.
The Heartland Corridor upgrade cost an estimated $261 million, with NS supplying $141million in the public/private partnership effort. Federal funds supplied a large portion of the public contribution, with individual states contributing the remainder.
According to Heller, NS will continue testing on the route in preparation for the first double-stack train scheduled to traverse the corridor on September 9.
__________________
Hmm. That address doesnt look right. It looks like the link pointing here was faulty.
