Yesterday there was a news item in Trains regarding the work on Howard Street Tunnel and how it is affecting CSX traffic flows.
Any possibility of starting a discussion on that tunnel and how that impacts CSX? Is the tunnel completely shut down at this time? What is the long term goal of the tunnel expansion? Will this facililtate the use of double stack thru the tunnel?
I would imagine this is a critical link between the South and Northeast. How is CSX diverting traffic?
Thanks,
Ed
That answers most of your questions.
The shut down of the tunnel for its reconstruction has bisected CSX operations in the City (Port) of Baltimore and for the I-95 Corridor.
Curtis Bay, Mt. Clare and Locust Point Yards and their customers are on the West side of the tunnel and have their normal access to the CSX system to the West and South of Baltimore.
Bayview, Penn Mary and Tradepoint Atlantic (formerly Bethlehem Steel property known as Sparrows Point) with the tunnel being out can only access the rest of the CSX system by going East from Bayview up the Philadelphia Subdivision and then up the River Line to Selkirk and then turning West to access the rest of the system - that includes traffic that is destined to Southern locations.
Some traffic like export coal destined the Consol transloading facility in the Canton area of Penn Mary are being rerouted by some minor CSX lines and the help of NS/Amtrak to access the facility from West Virigina & SW Pennsylvania, Baltimore’s major ocean going intermodal terminals are located East of the tunnel. CSX is increasing drayage from a location they have created at Curtis Bay to truck containers between Curtis Bay and the dedicated marine terminals.
I have read in an article that approximately 12% of all CSX traffic is being detoured because of this project AND the rebuilding of the Clinchfield line known as the Blue Ridge Sub that was virtually destroyed by Hurricane Helene in 2024.
Tunnel reconstruction began Feb. 1 and is expected to take six to eight months.
Thanks Balt for the explanation and map. My issue was not knowing the geography of Baltimore along with the placements of yards and terminals. I probably confused the ex PRR (now Amtrak) line with this routing.
The Howard Street Tunnel appears to be on ex B&O heritage line which continues to Philadelphia then the CSX route is ex Reading.
This shutdown of the tunnel along with the placement of yards / terminals explains the re-routing. For example CSX train I157 intermodal now routes from Baltimore east thru Philly, up to New Jersey and north to Selkirk before heading west to the Chicago terminal. Round about routing, but necessary.
The rerouting of freight from the traditional SCL area to New York and beyond must be a true mess. Based on the CSX map, there is no routing alternative except thru Sand Patch west towards Williard and then reverse direction and go thru Cleveland, Buffalo, to Selkirk.
Add the elimination of the ex Clinchfield line and the options are narrowed, dramatically.
Again thanks for the map and discussion.
Ed
Balt, could they have used the old WM Lurgan subdivision and what appears to be trackage rights on NS’s ex-Readind line to Phily as a shortcut?
There are csx trains (I think one or 2 each way) running via NS on the lurgan/HBG line Hagerstown to Philly every day.
I believe you are correct. I don’t know the train ID’s. I think that is how the coal trains for the Consol transloading are getting to East Baltimore and the empties returning to the mines.
