Description

This project would create a trough near Uptown Charlotte to allow the CSX Transportation (CSXT) freight trains to travel under the Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) mainline railroad tracks. The project also includes road/railroad crossing closures and minor roadway improvements within the project area. The project extends along the CSXT railroad tracks from the CSXT bridge over I-77 to North Caldwell Street and along the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks from North Graham Street to West 7th Street.

This project is a major component of the Charlotte Railroad Improvement and Safety Program (CRISP). CRISP is a joint effort by NCDOT, Charlotte, Norfolk Southern, the North Carolina Railroad, and CSXT to make long-term operational, efficiency, and safety improvements to the railroad network in the Charlotte area.

The primary purpose of the project is to improve the efficiency and reliability of existing and future freight and passenger train operations in Charlotte by eliminating the busiest crossing of two railroad lines in North Carolina. The project will also improve safety by eliminating the possibility of vehicle/train collisions, reduce train horn noise by removing roadway crossings, and improve air quality by reducing the emissions from idling locomotives and vehicles.

News and Updates

• The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will hold an informal public Design Public Hearing on December 11, 2012. The meeting will be held at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, room 266, located at 600 E. Fourth Street in Center City Charlotte from 5 to 7 pm.
• The Environmental Assessment and Draft Section 4(f) Evaluation is available here.

Project Overview and Purpose

• Approximately 30 Norfolk Southern (NS) and 10 CSXT freight trains per day use the existing railroad intersection. This is the busiest crossing of two rail lines in North Carolina. Long delays for freight trains occur as trains wait for each other to clear the crossing before proceeding. This also results in traffic delays as the waiting freight trains block roads.
• Enabling the CSXT freight trains to cross under the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks will improve realiability and efficiency of freight operations by eliminating delays resulting from trains taking turns going across each other’s tracks. It would also reduce delays to automotive traffic by closing crossings and building bridges to allow vehicles to cross over the CSX tracks.
• The Amtrak New York City to New Orleans Crescent is currently the only passenger train that passes through the project area. Upon the completion of the Charlotte Gateway Station in Uptown Charlotte, six additional passenger trains will pass through the busy crossing, adding to the potential delays to freight and passenger train traffic. NCDOT is also proposing to add two additional Raleigh – Charlotte round trips in the near future. The project will eliminate potential delays to passenger train service due to freight trains passing through the crossing.
• The Red Line Regional Rail Project proposed by Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), NCDOT, and local governments in northern Mecklenburg County and southern Iredell County would provide commuter rail service along the Norfolk Southern “O-Line”. The Red Line would run from Uptown Charlotte, through the project area, to Mooresville in Iredell County. The proposed project would separate the future commuter line from freight traffic.
• The CSXT freight trains passing under the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks and roadway bridges will no longer have to blow their horns or block roadway crossings in the project area, resulting in a reduction of train horn noise and air pollution due to idling vehicles.

Project Highlights

• Construct a 3,400 foot long trench carrying the CSX mainline tracks under the Norfolk Southern Railway mainline tracks.
• Construct a three-track bridge carrying the Norfolk Southern mainline over the trench structure.
• Construct road bridges over the trench to provide employee and truck access to the ADM mill adjacent to the project site.
• Permanently close the railroad crossings at North Johnson Street and Church Street.
• Construct an extension of Wadsworth Place, providing a connection between North Tryon Street and North Church Street.
• Construct a pedestrian bridge over the trench structure at the existing North Johnson Street crossing location.
• Extend Maxwell Court north to tie into Hamilton Street.

Contact Information

Resources for Local Property Owners

In many cases, it is inevitable that a certain amount of private property must be acquired. The displacement of homes and businesses is minimized to the extent practicable. The following brochures will answer questions about this process.