(The following article by Leigh Ann Wells was posted on the Appalachian News-Express on March 21.)
WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — Norfolk Southern Railroad officials are working on a major project that will enlarge train tunnels along the Heartland Corridor and several of those tunnels are located in Mingo County.
Joe Maynard, assistant superintendent of Norfolk Southern’s Pocahontas Division, and Jim Carter, chief engineer of bridges and construction for the railroad company, explained the project to the members of the Williamson Kiwanis Club and other community leaders Monday during a meeting at the Brass Tree Restaurant.
Carter explained that tunnels from Walton, Va., to Columbus, Ohio, will be enlarged to accommodate the need for double stack clearance. He explained that cargo trains are now stacking cars two-high and the existing tunnels must be altered to allow passage by the trains.
Carter said NS officials have been working on the project since spring 2001 after the Rahall Institute at Marshall University published a study about the benefits of double stacking. He said another reason for altering tunnels along the Heartland Corridor, which runs from Norfolk, Va., to Chicago, is the fact that Asian imports have historically been brought in from the West Coast and West Coast ports are at capacity. Though more and more Asian imports are moving through the Suez Canal to northern cities, these areas are also constrained and alternatives are needed, Carter said.
Carter used Wal-Mart as an example of a cargo container customer, saying that the retail giant’s imports are primarily transported by rail. He said that most container traffic is time sensitive.
Carter said that when the Heartland Corridor is complete, it will span 1,031 miles.
The tunnel project is a public/private partnership that was part of the 2005 federal transportation bill. Ninety-five million dollars has been authorized for use in Virginia, West Virginia and Ohio.
Carter said that two container trains currently run through Williamson. The current average tunnel height is 19’1” and the proposed height is 20’9”. The project has 30 tunnels marked for federal funding, 24 of which are in Mingo County. Two non-federally funded tunnels are located in Kentucky while three are located in Virginia, Carter explained.
He added that NS officials are continuing to investigate the aspects of the project in order to modify its design. He said an observational approach allows for the study of a range of conditions including design aspects including encroachment; masonry vs. concrete vs. unlined tunnels; geo technical parameters and the presence and size of packing materials such as cord wood and dry-packed stone.
Carter said the railroad will continue to operate while the project is under construction. He said officials are looking at work windows that will range from eight-to-12 hours each day, even though the project will have a major effect on the trains while work is being done.
“We are looking for a manageable disruption of the railroad,” Carter stressed.
Clearance improvement methods include notching, deep notching, liner replacement and day lighting. Another option may be to eliminate a tunnel entirely.
Carter said that information about the project has been sent to historical officials in Virginia and West Virginia for their input.
Carter further explained that the project is expected to be completed by mid-2010. He said officials will be 70 percent into the final design when the environmental study is complete. The environmental document is being handled by the Federal Department of Highways. Construction is expected to begin in August and the project will be bid in multiple packages.