CSX plans easement on Louisville and Indianapolis

Trains Magazine General Discussion
21

From 1999 to 2003 Amtrak ran train called the Kentucky Cardinal from Chicago to Evansville (and later to Louisville) as part of the Amtrak-Express-glidepath to solvency. It was 30 mph running south of Indianapolis and never quite lived up to its potential.

Even with these new upgrades until the enigmatic “they” figure out how to make the Chicago to Indianapolis route relevant to reality then future extensions, such as to Louisville, will have to wait.

22

Easement instead of contract? Runs with the land?- I wanna see this! (methinks the lawyer abused the term trying to explain overhead trackage rights…Seriously doubt an easement deed is gonna show up in any Indiana courthouse and I suspect the deal is revokable.)

Hogfeathers.

  • and L&I had the easement case that went all the way to the Indiana Supreme Court (and lost to the power company)
23

Mudchicken:

Glad you jumped in on this. I don’t know legaleze so really cannot make a judgement. This is the avenue that CSX and CN used in their swap of track in Chicago area and Memphis.

As I read the filing, L&I owns the ROW and track up to the 25mph (as it is now) level with CSX “owning” the improvements to the trackage (up to 60mph) with a bridge replacement. With this is the 286,000 weight limits (currently 263,000) so that L&I pays CSX anything over 263,000.

Quite a novel approach. I wonder how the NS deals with KCS and PanAm were structured?

Ed

24

Couple of questions spring to mind after reading the balance of this Thread:

*Could a parallel case be made for this deal, similarly, to the KCS/NS ‘Meridian Speedway’ deal?

Or even possibly, the PWR Basin ‘Joint Line’ involving BNSF and UPRR?

  • It could also go to the action of CSX working to mitigate the eventual traffic issues that many seem to believe are on the horizon for the Transportation ( Automotive and Railroads) Problems surrounding the Chicago area? To Balt ACD’s response as to who will be dispatching the area of the L&I/CSX operations. Is there not currently a CSX Dispatch Office in that Region?
25

The PRB line is owned 50% each by BNSF and UP. There is a similar arrangement with the ex-C&EI between Dolton and Woodland Jct, jointly owned by CSX (L&N) and UP (MP).

The arrangement between CSX and L&I appears to be closer to the arrangements made by D&H and NS over various lines.

26

Somehow I missed out on what CN and CSX did in Chicago and Memphis; I have the impression that the Memphis part had to do with CN’s access to Johnson Yard from the north, where the IC used the L&N between Leewood and Aulon.

27

Some local color detailing the transaction: http://www.therepublic.com/view/local_story/On-fast-track_1372216614

This all reminds me of a piece Trains did not too long ago: From Lame Lines to Main Lines. One subtle difference: This was once a PRR main line that became a short line and may soon be a main line yet again. Which one will be next?