CSX cuts ribbon on relocated North Carolina yard

On July 26, CSX Transportation officials, U.S. Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.), North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Secretary Tony Tata and Greenville Mayor Allen Thomas attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new CSX yard in Greenville, N.C.

The Class I relocated its switching operations from downtown Greenville to a new yard situated six-and-a-half miles north to reduce the facility's impact on local traffic and make travel more efficient for both trains and vehicles. The new yard separates train and vehicular traffic, and eliminates difficult maneuvers that trains previously had to make between Arlington Boulevard and Howell Street, CSX and state officials said in a press release.

"Moving switching operations away from busy road crossings in downtown Greenville will significantly reduce the number of accidents in the area," said Tata.

Work began on the four-year, multi-phased project in 2009, and Norfolk Southern Railway and Carolina Coastal Railway participated in earlier phases. The work included the construction of a track connector, nearly 7,000 feet of switching yard tracks and a new CSX yard office to house train crews at the north end of the new yard.

"This project is a great example of a public-private partnership that offers a comprehensive solution, providing reduced congestion for the citizens of Greenville and a more efficient rail operation for CSX," said Quintin Kendall, CSX Transportation's vice president of state government and community affairs.

NCDOT covered 75 percent of the project's $9.7 million cost, in part with a $967,000 grant from the Federal Railroad Administration. CSX contributed the remainder.