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  • Phoenixville, PA, Industrial track to Devault, PA

  • Discussion relating to the NS operations. Official web site can be found here: NSCORP.COM.
Discussion relating to the NS operations. Official web site can be found here: NSCORP.COM.

 #451983  by Pacobell73
 
The resurfacing is not asphalt per se. It more along the lines of rocks and pebbles covering the crossing. I call them "sticky rocks" because they are firmly glued to the street and rails. But rocks and pebbles are surrounding the crossings in all directions. Definitely a quick fix, and nothing heavy duty.

Realistically, the Pothouse Road crossing is a tight, bad crossing atop a hump. Trucks and school busses have a hard time manuevering over the crossing. But the Charlestown Road one is a wide, flat crossing.

There are two other grade crossings in Phoenixville (Buckwalter Road and Montgomery Avenue). Neither were resurfaced. My guess is that Pothouse/Charlestown were chosen because they are very busy interections.

See here for location - http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?fo ... mbiguity=1

Hopefully, NS will look for shortline operators to purcahse the 10 mile line instead of simply abandoning it. John Nolan, please heed the call (do I sound desperate? :( )
 #468095  by Schuylkill Valley
 
Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Discontinuance of Service Exemption--in Chester County, PA
Wednesday, November 07, 2007; Posted: 11:48 AM

More Breaking News about NSRT
Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Discontinuance of Service Exemption--in Chester County, PA

Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Abandonment Exemption--in Grant County, IN

Norfolk Southern Railway Company--Abandonment Exemption--in Grant County, IN

Click here for More News >>


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Nov 07, 2007 (Transportation Department Documents and Publications/ContentWorks via COMTEX) -- NSRT | charts | news | PowerRating -- Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR) has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR part 1152 subpart F--Exempt Abandonments and Discontinuances of Service to discontinue service over a 7.70 mile line of railroad between milepost PX 3.10 and milepost PX 10.80 in Phoenixville, Chester County, PA. The line traverses United States Postal Service Zip Codes 19453 and 19460, and includes the stations of Phoenixville, Pickering, and Devault.

NSR has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the line for at least 2 years; (2) that all overhead traffic, if any, has been rerouted over other lines; (3) no formal complaint filed by a user of rail service on the line (or by a state or local government entity acting on behalf of such user) regarding cessation of service over the line either is pending with the Board or with any U.S. District Court or has been decided in favor of complainant within the 2-year period; and (4) the requirements at 49 CFR 1105.12 (newspaper publication), and 49 CFR 1152.50(d)(1) (notice to governmental agencies) have been met.

As a condition to these exemptions, any employee adversely affected by the discontinuance of service shall be protected under Oregon Short Line R. Co.--Abandonment--Goshen, 360 I.C.C. 91 (1979). To address whether this condition adequately protects affected employees, a petition for partial revocation under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) must be filed.

Provided no formal expression of intent to file an offer of financial assistance (OFA) has been received, this exemption will be effective on December 7, 2007, unless stayed pending reconsideration. Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental issues and formal expressions of intent to file an OFA for continued rail service under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2), /1/ must be filed by November 19, 2007. /2/ Petitions to reopen must be filed by November 27, 2007, with: Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street, SW., Washington, DC 20423-0001.

FOOTNOTE 1 Each OFA must be accompanied by the filing fee, which currently is set at $1,300. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25). END FOOTNOTE

FOOTNOTE 2 Because this is a discontinuance proceeding and not an abandonment, trail use/rail banking and public use conditions are not appropriate. Likewise, no environmental or historical documentation is required here under 49 CFR 1105.6(c) and 1105.8(b), respectively. END FOOTNOTE

A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to NSR's representative: James R. Paschall, Senior General Attorney, Norfolk Southern Railway Company, Three Commercial Place, Norfolk, VA 23510.

If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, the exemption is void ab initio.

Board decisions and notices are available on our Web site at: http://www.stb.dot.gov" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

Decided: October 30, 2007.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. E7-21832 Filed 11-6-07; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915-01-P

Citation: "72 FR 62907"

Document Number: "STB Docket No. AB-290 (Sub-No. 297X)"

Federal Register Page Number: "62907"

"Notices"


I guess this means the end of an ere.
 #483789  by Pacobell73
 
Schuylkill Valley wrote:FOOTNOTE 2 Because this is a discontinuance proceeding and not an abandonment, trail use/rail banking and public use conditions are not appropriate.
So this basically means NS has officially declared that they are discontinuing service, yes? Nothing more? They are not abandoning the line. Yes, it stinks, but at least the tracks are not going anywhere soon.

Plus,

Docket Number: AB_290_297_X


Case Title: NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY-DISCONTINUANCE OF SERVICE EXEMPTION-IN CHESTER COUNTY, PA

Decision Type: Decision

Decision Notes: DECISION TOLLED THE PERIOD OF TIME FOR VALLEY FORGE RAILWAYS, LTD. TO FILE AN OFFER OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE (OFA) AN ADDITIONAL 7 DAYS AND EXTENDED THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE EXEMPTION UNTIL 10 DAYS AFTER THE DUE DATE FOR AN OFA FILING.

SERVICE DATE – DECEMBER 7, 2007

SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD
DECISION
STB Docket No. AB-290 (Sub-No. 297X)

Decided: December 6, 2007

Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR) filed a notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F—Exemption Abandonments and Discontinuances of Service to discontinue service over a 7.70-mile line of railroad between milepost PX 3.10 and milepost PX 10.80 in Phoenixville, Chester County, PA. Notice of the exemption was served and published in the Federal Register on November 7, 2007 (72 FR 62907). The exemption was scheduled to become effective on December 7, 2007, unless stayed by the Board or unless a formal expression of intent to file an offer of financial assistance (OFA) under 49 U.S.C. 10904 and 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2) was filed by November 19, 2007.

On November 19, 2007, Valley Forge Railways, Ltd. (VFRL), filed a formal expression of intent to file an OFA to subsidize continued rail service over the line. This filing automatically stayed the effective date of the exemption for 10 days, until December 17, 2007.[1] VFRL requested that NSR provide VFRL with the financial data and information prescribed in 49 CFR 1152.27(a).

Under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2)(ii)(B), the due date for OFAs in this proceeding is December 7, 2007. On November 30, 2007, VFRL filed a petition to toll the period for filing an OFA in this proceeding, until 7 business days after it has received the data requested from NSR. The Board will consider requests to toll the period for filing an OFA when a petitioner has failed to provide a potential offeror with the information necessary to the development of an OFA and that information is not contained in the petition. See 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2)(i)(c). In this case, because the information necessary to formulate an OFA has not been provided, VFRL’s request will be granted. Accordingly, an OFA will be due 7 business days after NSR provides VFRL with the requested information, and the effective date of the exemption will be extended until 10 days after the due date of filing the OFA.

This decision will not significantly affect either the quality of the human environment or the conservation of energy resources.

It is ordered:

1. The time period for VFRL to file an OFA is tolled, until 7 business days after NSR provides it with the requested information.

2. NSR is directed to notify the Board in writing that it has provided VFRL with the information requested once it has done so.

3. The effective date of the exemption is postponed until 10 days after the due date for the filing of an OFA.

4. This decision is effective on its service date.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of Proceedings.

 #484104  by Schuylkill Valley
 
Hi all, First off I hope every one had a Merry Christmas.
Now seeing this writing does this mean the onwership is now VFRL or is it still NS?

I did see where they have clear brush back at crossings and the over pass over Rt. 23.

Len.

 #484188  by RichM
 
I believe someone on Trainorders had posted that the sand pit in Devault is reopening for rail freight... any confirmation in anything local?

 #484383  by Pacobell73
 
Good. That would make sense.

 #489208  by ElTrain
 
Is this the line that crosses Germantown Pike?

 #489276  by Schuylkill Valley
 
No. it crosses Rt. 23 and Rt. 29 . This is the line that runs between Phoenixville,Pa. and Devalt, Pa.

It was known as the Phoenixville & West Chester branch of the PRR.

Len.
 #497886  by WM Fan (in philly)
 
This is from the Around Phoenixville Blog:

'Green Line' Gets Funding for Study

The train line that is being proposed by Barry Cassidy now has a name. The Green Line, which Cassidy hopes will connect Phoenixville to the Main Line (and ideally the R5 Septa Line), is now undergoing feasibility studies to see if it is a project worth pursuing.

From today's Phoenix
---
The funding was raised through private sources, and the Main Street CDC secured enough funds for the study late last week. Cassidy said that the source of the funding is important, as it proved far quicker to raise the funds through private sources rather than apply for government funding.

"It's important to move the project along as quickly as possible so we don’t lose opportunities," Cassidy said. "By securing private funding...there is no need to apply for funding or answer to nearly every agency imaginable. I think what happens with these kinds of projects is many times there a lot of generals and not enough infantry."

He added that private funds may be used for a future feasibility study as well, pending the results of the market analysis. Government funds could be used at some point in the process for zoning, train stations, transportation related housing, and other uses, Cassidy said.

The market analysis will be conducted by consultants with Gannett Fleming, and the nine-week study is tentatively scheduled to kick off on Monday, February 4, with a final report to be presented in April.

CDC has named the project the Green Line, Cassidy explained, due to the project’s potential to control urban sprawl and provide an alternative to using automobiles, thus mitigating traffic congestion.

The Green Line would use existing tracks owned by Norfolk Southern Corporation spanning from Phoenixville to Devault. The passenger rail service could then use existing rights of way along Route 29 and Valley Stream Parkway to travel to Paoli.

According to preliminary plans, the Green Line would parallel several industrial centers including Great Valley Corporate Center and Vanguard. The rail service could also use areas such as the former Phoenix Steel site for transportation related housing and train stations
---

This plan is different that the original that would have seen the train line run past Great Valley High School and terminate in Frazier. Personally, I think the new plan is a much better option since it will connect us to the business centers in Great Valley as well as to the Paoli train station, making access to Center City that much easier.

Source: The Phoenix

Posted by JW at 9:49 AM

 #497893  by Schuylkill Valley
 
That is great news, thank you so much for posting it. Now I hope and pray that this gets off the ground and doesn't crash and burn.

Len.
 #974227  by 7836andrew
 
I grew up on Brookwood Ave, a few blocks from Pothouse/Charlestown Rd. Xing. I used to watch the trains roll by when my brother played little league baseball just to the NW of the intersection. It drove me nuts as a child to hear the trainhorn and not be able to see them :/ Does anybody have any footage/pics I can check out. I'm willing to pay for and to ship to my address. I esp. appreciate Len's input on everyone's comments, very educational. I moved away when I was ten to IL without ever knowing anything about the line. I came back to visit the area 2 years ago to see the line defunct, very sad (and Bader's gone, too). Thanks everyone.