PHILADELPHIA – Norfolk Southern Corp. today announced that the first train will run on the new Shelocta Secondary on Monday (Aug. 7), culminating a five-year, $44 million project
The line establishes a direct rail connection from Norfolk Southern’s Conemaugh Line in Saltsburg, Pa., to the coal-powered Keystone Generating Station in Shelocta, Pa.
“The Shelocta Secondary is a new link in our network providing the Keystone Generating Station with an efficient direct connection to western Pennsylvania coal fields served by Norfolk Southern,” said Wick Moorman, Norfolk Southern’s chief executive officer. “Norfolk Southern’s investment in this project underscores our commitment to improving service to coal customers.”
The regulatory approval process for construction of the Shelocta Secondary began in December 2001. Construction of the new line began in April 2005 and involved building approximately five miles of new track and right of way between Saltsburg and Clarksburg and rehabilitating 11 miles of existing out- of-service railroad right of way between Clarksburg and Shelocta.
To construct the new segment, more than 1.4 million cubic yards of soil were moved to establish efficient grades. The Shelocta Secondary replaces a circuitous, limited-capacity route that is 51 miles longer than the new line. It is estimated that more than 3 million tons of coal will move over the line annually.
– PRNewswire-FirstCall
