(The following story by Gregory Richards appeared on The Virginian-Pilot website on January 23.)
NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern Corp. has signed a $57 million agreement with the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation to improve its railroad tracks between Manassas and Front Royal so the route can handle more freight trains and to help take trucks off congested Interstate 81.
In the deal, announced Tuesday, Norfolk Southern is providing $17 million, while Virginia is contributing $40 million.
In exchange, the Norfolk-based railroad agreed to provide certain public benefits, including increasing freight rail shipments to eliminate 597,000 truck trips from Virginia’s highways over the next 15 years, according to the state rail department.
The 50-mile-long stretch of track between Manassas and Front Royal runs along Interstate 66. The project includes laying more track along that route and modernizing train signals. The route connects to a rail line that parallels I-81.
Norfolk Southern may begin construction in February, pending approval of environmental permits. Completion is scheduled for late 2008.
The project is the first in Virginia for Norfolk Southern’s I-81 Crescent Corridor, a roughly $2 billion initiative to improve rail corridors stretching from Louisiana to New Jersey.