Introducing the Heartland Corridor - NCIT

The Heartland Corridor is a portfolio of intermodal
based projects designed to significantly improve
mobility and increase freight capacity between the
Mid-Atlantic regions of Virginia and North Carolina,
and the Midwest and West Virginia.

The core of the Heartland Corridor is the so-called
Central Corridor component.
Realization of the double-stack clearances helps justify
related corridor projects, such as the rail relocation
project to serve the APM Terminal/Craney Island and
the mega-terminal at Rickenbacker, as well as making
available opportunities for market access for western
Virginia and West Virginia (via a Roanoke region and
Prichard intermodal facilities).

Chicago
1031 Miles to
Chicago
28 Tunnels Require
Modifications to
Provide 20’-3”
Clearance
Columbus
Cleveland
Kenova
Prichard
1264 Miles to
Chicago
Roanoke
Harrisburg
The Port
of Virginia
Heartland Corridor

Double-Stack Project
The current clearance envelope through West Virginia only
accommodates railcars up to 19’1” multi-levels. No double-stack cars
can be accommodated in western Virginia and West Virginia due to the
height, as well as the square profile of the conveyance.

28 Tunnels
• 30,000+ feet to be Cleared
• Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky
24 Overhead Obstructions
• Bracing Modifications, Fencing Modifications, Overhead
Wire Removal, Miscellaneous Signal Work
• West Virginia and Ohio

To Chicago,
Detroit, & Points
West
Rickenbacker
Portsmouth
KY
Kenova
Prichard
Columbus
Williamson
OH
Ashville
Huntington
Welch
COMPONENT
Central Corridor Double-Stack Initiative
Prichard Intermodal Terminal
Roanoke Region Intermodal Terminal
Rickenbacker Intermodal Terminal
Commonwealth Railway Mainline Safety
Relocation Project (CRMSRP)
Bluefield
WV
Roanoke
Christiansburg
Washington, DC
VA
Richmond
LEGEN
D
Petersburg
664
664
CIMT
(Proposed)
CIDMMA
Portsmouth
APM
164
264
NIT
PMT
Norfolk
CRMSRP Project (Median Rail)
Portsmouth
464
264

Single Stack Trains Will Be Double
Stacked
• Effectively Double the Capacity of
the Train
Reduced Transportation Cost
• Saves 233 Miles, Norfolk-Chicago
• Reduce Transit Time by 1-1/2 Days
Intermodal Yards Provide
Opportunities

Intermodal Facility in
Roanoke, VA
Connecting I-81 & I-64
to Heartland Corridor
Intermodal Facility in
Columbus, OH
Connecting I-70 to
Heartland Corridor

“Central Corridor Double-Stack Project”
• Double-Stack Clearances: Between Roanoke, VA
through WV, to Columbus, OH
Expanded Intermodal Capacity
• Columbus, OH – Rickenbacker Airport
• New Intermodal Terminals
Roanoke Region
Prichard, WV
“Western Freeway Rail Corridor”
• Rail relocation project in Portsmouth, VA

COMPONENT
ESTIMATED
COST ($)
Central Corridor Double-Stack Initiative $ 151 M
Prichard Intermodal Terminal $ 18 M
Roanoke Region Intermodal Terminal $ 18 M
Rickenbacker Intermodal Terminal $ 62 M
Commonwealth Railway Mainline Safety
Relocation Project (CRMSRP)
$ 60 M
TOTAL $ 309 M

COMPONENT
SAFETEA-
LU FUNDS
Central Corridor Double-Stack Initiative $ 95 M
Rickenbacker Intermodal Terminal $ 30 M
Commonwealth Railway Mainline Safety
Relocation Project (CRMSRP)
$ 15 M
TOTAL $ 140 M

Provides a new intermodal facility in West Virginia, a
region that currently has no intermodal connections to
the domestic and global intermodal network.
Provides new, lower cost intermodal freight
transportation options to shippers in the Appalachian
regions of West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, and
southeastern Ohio. This infrastructure improvement will
provide a base for attracting new business to the region.
Facilitates conversion of freight from highway to rail
• Reduces traffic congestion on key highways along the
Heartland Corridor
• Reduces emissions by up to 75% on freight converted
to rail

According to a study performed by the Nick J. Rahall
Appalachian Transportation Institute at Marshall
University, the Central Corridor Double-Stack Project
provides the following benefits
• Over 20 years, provides $201 to $368 million in
economic benefits to shippers moving freight in the
Heartland Corridor
• Increases economic activity in West Virginia by $50
million per year with associated increases in
employment and tax revenue, as well as providing $4.4
million to $11.3 million in direct benefits annually to
existing shippers in West Virginia, eastern Kentucky
and southeastern Ohio.

This project involves construction of a new intermodal
terminal facility in Prichard, WV.
This terminal will provide Prichard and the
surrounding markets with direct intermodal access to
global markets.
Intermodal service will be provided between Prichard
and Chicago and all points west, as well as the ports in
Hampton Roads
Phase 1 Capacity: 30,000 units (cost: $18 Million)
Similar to VPA’s Virginia Inland Port

The DMJM HARRIS conducted economic and market
analysis for the Prichard Intermodal Terminal.
• Prichard, West Virginia is identified as the most
optimal site for an inland intermodal terminal.
• The West Virginia market is large enough to support
inland intermodal terminal.
• There is a potential to place warehousing in the
project area.
• The diversion potential of truck to rail freight traffic is
sufficient to help support an inland intermodal
terminal.
• Economic returns are moderate, and improvement on
those returns are possible.

Intermodal Container Transfer Facility in Warren County

39 Major Companies have Located Near VIP

AB&C Group AmeriCold
Logistics.
Blue Ridge (HBH) Prestain
Butter-Krust Baking Co.
DuPont
East Coast Brokers Inc.
Family Dollar Inc.
Ferguson Enterprises Inc.
Ford Motor Co.
General Parts Inc.
Home Depot
HP Hood Inc.
Jouan/Precision Scientific
Khol’s Corp.
Pen Tab
Rite Aid Corp.
Rubbermaid
Spahr Metric Inc.
SYSCO Corp.
Toray Plastics
Trex
Walden Foods
Winchester Cold Storage
World Wide Automotive

Reduced shipping costs for shippers via the Heartland
Corridor
Improved mobility for truck freight along the
Heartland Corridor
Environmental benefits from reduced emissions
through use of more efficient transportation
Economic, tax and employment benefits from the
introduction of new or expanded Intermodal capacity
along the Heartland Corridor

Improved access to the global trade network through
the Ports of Hampton Roads for shippers and
manufacturers in Virginia, West Virginia, eastern
Kentucky and Ohio
Prichard intermodal terminal provides business and
investment opportunities for West Virginia through
competitive transportation access to global markets

Columbus, Rickenbacker is well funded with (ODOT) Ohio
Department of Transportation
State of Virginia is working on plan to close the gap on the
Portsmouth rail relocation
• $60 million project
• $15 million provided under Section 1302, SAFETEALU
• $45 million remains outstanding; hopefully, $15 million to
come from Virginia Section 130 funds and $30 million
from the Virginia budget

Total Central Corridor Heartland Cost
• $186 million total- tentative
• $150 million for Clearances- tentative
• $36 million for Terminals; $18 million each for
Prichard and Roanoke- tentative
• Estimates subject to further refinement

Seeking $27 million from the Virginia Rail
Enhancement Fund established by the Virginia
Legislature
• 1 00% state revenues
• $9 million toward clearances
• $18 million toward Roanoke Terminal
• Portsmouth Rail Relocation to be handled separately
Ohio costs total just under $1 million
• Ohio Rail Development Commission likely to cover 90% of
these costs

WESTBOUND SCHEDULE
DP Norfolk APM 1700 – TU, TH, SA
DP Norfolk NIT 1800 - TU, TH, SA,
DP Norfolk 2015 - TU, TH, SA
AR Prichard 1414 - WE, FR, SU Set Out - Pick Up
AR Chicago 1405 - TH, SA, MO
EASTBOUND SCHEDULE
DP Chicago 2305 - MO, WE, FR
AR Prichard 2127 - TU, TH, SA Set Out - Pick Up
AR Norfolk 1730 - WE, FR, SU
AR Norfolk NIT 1930 - WE, FR, SU
AR Norfolk APM 0600 - TH, SA, MO
Schedules Subject to Change

Heartland Corridor
Other NS rail lines
Commonwealth Railroad
US Interstate System
New Intermodal Terminal
The Heartland Corridor

Description: The Heartland Corridor project will
create significant new Intermodal capacity in
Columbus, OH and Roanoke, VA
• This project provides for a major new state of the art
intermodal facility adjacent to the Columbus Regional
Airport Authority’s Rickenbacker Airport, south of
Columbus.
•This project also converts the existing Discovery
Park Intermodal terminal in Columbus, OH in to a
roadrailer terminal. The roadrailer network would
connect Columbus to markets throughout the
Midwest, South, and Northeast, and the Mexican
gateway. The roadrailer services serve a variety of

The key funding mechanism for the
clearances component of Heartland was
Section 1301 of SAFETEA-LU
“Projects of National and Regional
Significance”
We intentionally pursued a House
strategy in the run-up to the surface
transportation reauthorization

Fully funded: $151 million project:
• $95 million federal; $9.8 million Virginia; $0.8 million
Ohio; the balance from Norfolk Southern
Federal Highways designated (by consensus of
all parties) as “sponsor agency”
MOA signed by three States w/FHWA; and
MOA signed by NS w/FHWA; effectuating the
flow of funds for the project
The Project is a Go!
First order of business: Completion of
environmental document, expected Spring
2007
In the interim, construction design engineering
allowed up to 70% completion

24 Overhead
29 Tunnels
- 30,000+ feet to be Cleared
- Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky
Obstructions
- Bracing modifications, Fencing modifications,
Overhead wire removal, miscellaneous signal
work.
- West Virginia and Ohio

Efficient transfer of
containers between
truck and rail
Economic
opportunity for
Western Virginia and
West Virginia
Similar to VPA’s
Virginia Inland Port

Shortage of truck drivers
Higher fuel costs
Higher insurance costs for truckers
Highway congestion
More quality RR service offerings
Growth in international containers
Higher railroad productivity
RR’s are more environment-friendly