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[CNJRoss]

CSX Express

 

December 23, 2016

FIRST TRAIN RUNS THROUGH NEW VIRGINIA AVENUE TUNNEL

CSX Double-Stack Clears Rail Corridors Between Mid-Atlantic Ports and Midwest Destinations

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – December 23, 2016 – CSX (Nasdaq: CSX) today announced the on-time completion of the first phase of the new Virginia Avenue Tunnel project in Washington, D.C., clearing the way for trains to transport double-stacked intermodal freight between Mid-Atlantic seaports and the Midwest on CSX’s railroad network.

The Virginia Avenue Tunnel is the last of 61 clearance projects that comprise the $850 million National Gateway Initiative, an innovative public-private partnership announced in 2008 to create more-efficient pathways for rail freight between key U.S. markets through investment in critical transportation infrastructure.

The first CSX freight train passed through the new southern tunnel of the two-tunnel project at 8 a.m. today, carrying double-stacked intermodal freight containers between Portsmouth, Va., and North Baltimore, Ohio. Work on the northern tunnel has already begun, and the entire project is expected to be completed on schedule in mid-2018.

“Clearing the National Gateway for double-stack freight creates more efficient, more environmentally friendly routes to move the essential goods that fuel today’s economy,” said Michael J. Ward, CSX chairman and chief executive officer. “Thanks to the support of our federal and state partners over the past eight years and the commitment of CSX’s shareholders to invest in the company’s future, the double-stack-cleared National Gateway will allow CSX to better meet the needs of consumers and businesses throughout the eastern U.S. for decades to come.”

When both tunnels are complete, the Virginia Avenue Tunnel project will relieve a significant Mid-Atlantic rail bottleneck that impacts freight and passenger service in the region as the growing volume of rail traffic has consumed the capacity of the existing infrastructure.

In addition, truck traffic, carbon emissions and wear-and-tear on the region’s highways will be reduced as shippers take advantage of the more-efficient and environmentally friendly rail service made possible by the project. The project is replacing an existing tunnel, portions of which were first constructed in 1870, that does not provide sufficient vertical clearance for double-stack intermodal containers and is not wide enough to allow a two-track rail configuration.

Nationally, the award-winning National Gateway Initiative is expected to create more than 50,000 jobs and deliver a host of benefits including reduced fuel consumption, lower emissions, improved safety, lower highway maintenance costs and reduced shipping costs. The project is expected to deliver more than $10 billion in public benefits in its first 30 years of operations – a return of $36 in public benefits for every $1 of public money invested.

The National Gateway Initiative has been supported by the District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, as well as a diverse group of 336 public and private-sector organizations and individuals, including Big Lots!, UPS and The Limited.

On December 15, Maryland submitted an application for a U.S. Department of Transportation FASTLANE grant to double-stack clear the Howard Street Tunnel and ten highway/rail crossings in Baltimore, which would remove the final impediments to a fully double-stack cleared rail corridor between Florida and New York. The Howard Street Tunnel project, if funded, will generate competitive advantages for the Port of Baltimore, remove additional trucks from the nation’s highways and create more than $640 million in benefits to 25 eastern states. CSX has committed to contribute $145 million of the funding required to complete the project.

 

 

[CNJRoss]

Virginia Avenue Tunnel Project email 12/23/16:

 

 

 

 

Dear Neighbors,

 

We’re very excited to announce that the first new Virginia Avenue Tunnel has been completed on time, and the first double-stack train passed through the tunnel this morning at about 8 a.m.

 

 

This marks an important milestone as we continue to work to safely and efficiently rebuild the Virginia Avenue Tunnel and restore the Virginia Avenue community within the expected 42-month time frame.

 

As you may recall, reconstructing the tunnel and providing double-stack rail clearance through the Washington, D.C., area will bring many benefits to the District and the region. It will allow us to move goods in a more environmentally friendly and efficient way, reducing truck traffic, emissions and highway congestion; it will remove a rail bottleneck that impacts freight and passenger service alike; and it will position the region and the nation for additional economic growth.

 

Much work remains as we move into Phase II tunnel construction and streetscape restoration, and we appreciate the community’s continued patience and flexibility while we work to complete the entire project. We remain committed to completing the project safely, efficiently, with respect for our neighbors, and making a great neighborhood even better than we found it.

 

Thank you again for your patience and flexibility, and best wishes for a happy holiday season from the entire VAT Project Team.

 

 

[CNJRoss]

American Journal of Transportation, 12/23:

CSX runs first trains through new Virginia Avenue Tunnel

CSX today announced the on-time completion of the first phase of the new Virginia Avenue Tunnel project in Washington, D.C., clearing the way for trains to transport double-stacked intermodal freight between Mid-Atlantic seaports and the Midwest on CSX’s railroad network. The Virginia Avenue Tunnel is the last of 61 clearance projects that comprise the $850 million National Gateway Initiative, an innovative public-private partnership announced in 2008 to create more-efficient pathways for rail freight between key U.S. markets through investment in critical transportation infrastructure.

 

The first CSX freight train passed through the new southern tunnel of the two-tunnel project at 8 a.m. today, carrying double-stacked intermodal freight containers between Portsmouth, Va., and North Baltimore, Ohio. Work on the northern tunnel has already begun, and the entire project is expected to be completed on schedule in mid-2018.

 

“Clearing the National Gateway for double-stack freight creates more efficient, more environmentally friendly routes to move the essential goods that fuel today’s economy,” said Michael J. Ward, CSX chairman and chief executive officer. “Thanks to the support of our federal and state partners over the past eight years and the commitment of CSX’s shareholders to invest in the company’s future, the double-stack-cleared National Gateway will allow CSX to better meet the needs of consumers and businesses throughout the eastern U.S. for decades to come.”

 

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[CNJRoss]

EconoTimes, 12/23:

First Train Runs Through New Virginia Avenue Tunnel

 

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23, 2016 -- CSX (Nasdaq:CSX) today announced the on-time completion of the first phase of the new Virginia Avenue Tunnel project in Washington, D.C., clearing the way for trains to transport double-stacked intermodal freight between Mid-Atlantic seaports and the Midwest on CSX’s railroad network.

 

First Train Through New CSX Virginia Avenue Tunnel -- Dec. 23, 2016 -- A northbound CSX freight train carrying double-stacked intermodal freight made the first trip through the company’s new Virginia Avenue Tunnel in southeast Washington, D.C., signifying completion of the first phase of construction on the critical-infrastructure project. Primarily funded by CSX, the project removes the last of 61 height obstacles on CSX’s network for trains carrying double-stacked standardized containers between several East Coast ports and markets throughout the central United States. The train had two locomotives and 50 cars of double-stacked freight traveling from Portsmouth, Va., to North Baltimore, Ohio.

 

The Virginia Avenue Tunnel is the last of 61 clearance projects that comprise the $850 million National Gateway Initiative, an innovative public-private partnership announced in 2008 to create more-efficient pathways for rail freight between key U.S. markets through investment in critical transportation infrastructure.

 

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[CNJRoss]

The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, VA 1/7/16:
 

With new tunnel open, CSX shifts to double-stack-only trains from Portsmouth

 

 

Remember those long, single-stack trains that sometimes seemed to sit forever along the tracks in the median of Va. 164 in Portsmouth?

 

They’re gone for good, as of a couple of days before Christmas.

 

That’s when CSX Corp. announced that the first phase of the new Virginia Avenue Tunnel in Washington, D.C., had opened for business, handling its first intermodal freight train carrying cargo containers stacked two high.

 

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[CNJRoss]

The Washington Post, 1/28/17:
 

Virginia Avenue Tunnel project advances in D.C. amid neighborhood disruption

 

 

Construction atop the Virginia Avenue Tunnel project takes place alongside residences Jan. 25 in Southeast Washington. Two new tunnels are designed to accommodate double-stacked rail cars. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

 

 

The first of two new CSX tunnels in Southeast Washington is open for business, for the first time allowing double-stacked rail cars to roll through the city.

 

Reconstruction of the 3,800-foot tunnel that runs beneath Virginia Avenue SE, from Second to 11th streets, is critical to expanding capacity for freight transportation in the growing Interstate 95 corridor and addressing a longtime bottleneck that has slowed rail traffic along the East Coast.

 

But midway to completion of the $250 million project, neighbors in the 11-block construction zone see no benefits. Virginia Avenue is closed to motor traffic and is fenced-in for bulldozers and other heavy machinery; crews have removed 20,900 truckloads of soil and poured 50,000 cubic yards of concrete. 

 

SNIP  

 

CSX reminded residents that when the project has been completed, they will have an improved Virginia Avenue. There will be bike paths, a new community dog park, wider sidewalks and better lighting, traffic signals and crosswalks.

 

But with about 20 more months of construction left, there is also still a lot of pain left to endure, said Maureen Cohen Harrington, who owns a townhouse near the tunnel. Construction is about to enter its most disruptive phase, she said, which involves demolishing the original tunnel.

 

Neighbors are trying to adapt, but they do not plan to stay quiet, having put up with too much for too long, she said.

 

“Uber can’t find us. Even Waze can’t keep up with it,” Cohen Harrington said, referring to the ride-hailing service and a navigation app for smartphones. “We have lost all our beautiful trees. We had a beautiful view and a beautiful courtyard. Now we have what feels like a war zone.”

 

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[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading, March 2017:

 

Project update: CSX's Virginia Avenue Tunnel

The two new Virginia Avenue tunnels will converge at the new structure’s west end. A 300-foot portion of the old tunnel was demolished to accommodate work on the first new tunnel. Photo – CSX

By Jeff Stagl, Managing Editor

CSX’s multiyear effort to eliminate a major rail chokepoint and modernize aging infrastructure in Washington, D.C., has just passed the halfway point. That milestone moves the Virginia Avenue Tunnel reconstruction project a bit closer to an anticipated mid-2018 completion.

The $250 million, 42-month project calls for replacing a 3,800-foot, single-track tunnel built beneath Virginia Avenue in southeast Washington more than a century ago with two larger one-track tunnels to accommodate double-stack trains. Work began in May 2015 and the first of two planned phases was completed in late 2016.

 

Originally constructed in 1872 by the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad, the tunnel was rebuilt in 1906. The 18.7-foot-tall tunnel needs to be replaced because it’s near the end of its useful life, has cracked masonry and a deteriorating drainage system, and regularly floods during heavy rains. Plus, its single track causes extensive congestion for both freight and commuter trains.

 

The new 4,100-foot-long, 21-foot-tall tunnels will improve the fluidity of freight and passenger trains on one of the region’s busiest rail lines; lessen the impact of freight trains on passenger-rail service by providing two-way traffic; ease highway congestion; and reduce the risk of rail service disruptions caused by flooding and other severe weather, according to CSX.

 

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[CNJRoss]

CSX Virginia Avenue Tunnel update:

 

February 23, 2018

 

VAT Team Completes Tunnel Walls

 

The Clark/Parsons JV Virginia Avenue Tunnel team this week finished the final concrete wall pours for the entire VAT project. The team completed concrete for over 3 miles of 24 foot tall walls covering roughly 380,000 square feet, and has completed the effort on schedule. The entire project remains on schedule for completion in Fall 2018, within the 42-month construction period identified at the project outset.

 

 

[CNJRoss]

The Washington Post,​ 5/26/18:

 

As CSX tunnel project wraps up, concerns rise over train speeds and vibration

 

 

CSX Transportation is winding down its tunnel project, shown above, beneath Virginia Avenue SE in Washington. The railroad demolished the existing tunnel, more than a century old, and built twin tunnels in its place. (CSX Transportation)

 

For three years, residents of Virginia Avenue SE have lived the pain of a 24/7 construction zone. An open trench. Fencing stretching a dozen city blocks. Heavy machinery — drilling, digging, dumping and pouring concrete. All in view of their front yards.

 

The work is winding down, with only five months left on the $250 million reconstruction of the old CSX railroad tunnel beneath their street of colorful rowhouses and brick apartment buildings. But residents fear their agony over one of the District’s most contentious construction projects won’t end there. Beyond the annoyance of the dirt and noise, many are reporting increased vibrations in their homes every time a train passes through the new structure.

 

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[CNJRoss]

Construction Dive, 4/3/19:
 

Clark rebuilds century-old DC tunnel victoriously despite pitfalls

 

Clark-Parsons not only demolished and rebuilt the underpass, but handled contentious environmental and community challenges, kept trains running throughout construction and finished ahead of schedule.

 

 

When one of the continent’s largest rail providers learned more than a decade ago that it would need to rebuild a century-old tunnel through dense Washington, D.C., to sustain the fluidity of a vital national rail network, it wasn’t sure how it could do it.

 

Luckily for owner CSX Transportation, a progressive design-build master stepped up to the challenge. And recently, the project came to its conclusion successfully and ahead of milestone target dates.

 

The tunnel had to be rebuilt to accommodate double-stack trains

Credit: Clark Construction

 

Headaches on the Virginia Avenue Tunnel project abounded from the start. First, the section in need of replacement was over 120 years old. Eleven city blocks of townhomes, parks, businesses, government offices and community centers ran along the length of the tunnel overhead, and seven cross streets and a massive interstate exchange lay adjacent. Intricate systems of public utility lines hid above and below.

 

The National Environmental Policy Act review process loomed over the entire project at every step. 

 

And above all, it was crucial that the line stay operational during construction.

 

No project too big for progressive design-build

 

CSX had successfully delivered similar projects as part of its $850 million public- and privately-funded National Gateway Initiative, a program involving raising the heights of 61 bridges and tunnels through the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest to clear 21 feet of vertical clearance for taller, double-stack intermodal containers.

 

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