286,000 reasons to see growth on the horizon

摘要

The louisville & indiana Railroad Co. (LIRC) is on a reinvestment roll, upgrading locomotives and track, and making an array of service improvements. And if the Surface Transportation Board (STB) blesses a proposed agreement with CSX Transportation to upgrade LIRC track to accommodate 286,000-pound rail cars, the Jefferson-ville, Ind.-based short line could be on a roll of a different sort. In June, the LIRC and interchange partner CSX filed a request with the STB for approval of an easement and joint-use agreement under which the Class I would increase the number of trains it runs on the short line's track and invest an estimated $70 million to $90 million in infrastructure upgrades. As part of the agreement, the LIRC would sell an easement to CSX for $10 million. The railroads,which have labeled the project "South Wind",hope to receive STB approval by year's end. If approved, the agreement would provide CSX more capacity to improve service for its customers in the Indianapolis-Cincinnati-Louisville area.