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Norfolk Southern Launches East Edge Double-Stack Service Connecting Chicago and New England

NSC
  • Norfolk Southern Corporation launched East Edge, a $64 million double-stack intermodal corridor connecting Chicago and New England.
  • The new service reduces transit times by up to 10 hours & replaces slower single-stack routes with high-efficiency double-stack operations.
  • The cleared route enables 9,000-foot trains to run fully double-stacked, potentially increasing annual capacity at the Ayer, Mass. hub from 80,000 to 200,000 lifts.
  • Infrastructure modernization included rebuilding 15 miles of track, replacing 13,600+ crossties, renewing 14 crossings, & installing new safety signal systems.
  • Structural improvements involved raising three bridges in Massachusetts by 12-18 inches, replacing 150 bridge ties, & engineering 2,000 feet of tunnel clearance in Worcester.
  • The project required coordination among partners including Berkshire & Eastern Railroad, Providence & Worcester Railroad, & state transportation agencies.
  • Executive leadership stated the initiative unlocks terminal efficiency, doubles train capacity, & reduces operating costs for the Northeast region.
  • The corridor bolsters the Pan Am Southern network, which is already experiencing 22% year-over-year growth.
  • Norfolk Southern plans to complete the final phase of its multidecade double-stack expansion in Western Pennsylvania by 2028.
  • The corporation is currently evaluating future opportunities to expand origin-destination pairs into New England.