CSX, Louisville & Indiana sign agreement for trackage rights, upgrades

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1

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CSX, Louisville & Indiana sign agreement for trackage rights, upgrades

2

Amtrak’s return?

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When in doubt rebuild the PRR. It really is that simple.

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I am always amazed how long deals like this take to close. How long ago was it when this hit the news? Long enough I’ve forgotten.

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Didn’t CSX just abandon a parallel line?

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CSX is going to mothball the original B&O line from Cincinnati to Saint Louis… Not sure if that’s what you are referring to…

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CSX is not going to mothball the old O&M line from Cincy to St Louis. In fact, most of it has new business. They are routing the Railex express trains over the Illinois Sub and then turning them south at Vincennes on the old C&EI and then heading to Jacksonville, FL where Railex has a large reefer reload facility, mostly to take pineapples back west to California. The trains return north from Jacksonville and split northwest at Dalton GA.

The line between Vincennes and Seymour will lose the most as it doesn’t have a lot of online elevators or industry. With the Bedford spur not doing anything and the tunnels east of Marshall restricting height, this part of the Indiana Sub will see barely branch level service. (if any) I could see this part getting abandoned.

CSX will still route trains over the Cincy/Seymour route to reach Louisville over the L&I and relieve congestion at Queensgate.

Illinois Sub had seen better days until Railex came along and the Kaskaskia River bridge at Vandalia fell apart. All of a sudden it was the golden child. UP power crossing the Wabash at Vincennes and turning north on the C&EI for Terre Haute was a great sight.

This old B&O line used to be a direct shot from St Louis to east coast ports. Only the Indiana tunnels and the poor routing through West Virginia made it obsolete in todays’ terms.

Now that CSX owns the Indiana Railroad outright, maybe they can spin off the Indiana Sub between Vincennes and Seymour to them and let them make something of it. Who knows?

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Thanks John & Logan, I appreciate the info.

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Correct me if I’m mistaken, but the “cutting” of the B&O’s main line east of Caseyville, IL (old O&M route from
East St Louis–Flora–Vincennes–Cincinnati has happened. With a length of rail also cut out west of Flora,
IL, there can be no through movements. Traffic is being rerouted to the old Pennsylvania main–East St Louis to Terre Haute.