Hoosac Tunnel Discussion & News

Really should put an end to any rumors that the B&M would be the new route for CSX into New England. The Castleton Bridge is fine, still double track and good for 30 mph.

The ex-B&M mainline will wind up in NS as part of the PAR sale to CSX,NS will likely do the undercutting needed to make the tunnel clear Domestic 53 foot double stack cars.

I don't know, maybe I guess. Thing is they had years to make a move, and did nothing. I'm not sure that NS, in their stage of PSR, is willing to make that investment now. I can see them selling their stake and retreating to Mohawk Yard, and having a shortline feed them some traffic from Ayer.

I think CSX just totally kicked them out of New England, or at best made them a minor player.

The STB will have the final say,but no CSX monopoly is a given

It won't be a monopoly, it'll be a little shortline feeding some traffic, maybe one train to NS at Mohawk Yard. The tunnel will not be undercut. CSX has won.

taracer wrote: ↑Sun Dec 27, 2020 8:47 pm I don't know, maybe I guess. Thing is they had years to make a move, and did nothing. I'm not sure that NS, in their stage of PSR, is willing to make that investment now. I can see them selling their stake and retreating to Mohawk Yard, and having a shortline feed them some traffic from Ayer.

I think CSX just totally kicked them out of New England, or at best made them a minor player.

Not likely. For as little as they have done, Squires said they are not giving up on their New England investment. There is little incentive to sell their share of PAS to a shortline unless there are zero protections from this sale. As I've mentioned prior, it's nuts to think the back channels weren't open between all 3 parties long before the sale announcement.

taracer wrote: ↑Sun Dec 27, 2020 9:02 pm It won't be a monopoly, it'll be a little shortline feeding some traffic, maybe one train to NS at Mohawk Yard. The tunnel will not be undercut. CSX has won.

The State of Massachusetts is planning to expand the tunnel.

The Commonwealth has been planning to undercut the tunnel for as long as I've been following this board. Has there been any concrete movement in regards to this project since the laser/LIDAR clearance scans of a few years ago?

Hope they've already got an agreement with CSX, otherwise they might ask for a discount on the sale price. From what I read here, the prior fix was done correctly but has to be re-done when/if they do the double-stack thing.

The engineers back "in the day" no doubt studied options and deemed constructing the Hoosac Tunnel the best choice. That said, given it's inevitable continuing disintegration, would it be more feasible to at least consider the possibility of constructing a ROW around the mountain which contains the tunnel? Or does the topography, property rights etc make this notion a "non starter?"
Could be moot of course if CSX or NS eventually abandons the ancient structure.

If the tunnel became unserviceable (and a thru-the-hill route was still desired), modern TBMs with laser/GPS guidance would likely make quick work of a new bore. And because the tunnel daylights at each end, the TBM could be recovered for another job, unlike some dead end tunnelling where the TBM is abandoned in situ once the job is done.

Would be very surprised if there’s a viable surface route.

Unless the government puts up the money, nobody in the private sector will rebuild the tunnel. Traffic would divert south over b&a or north over vrs.

I’d speculate that buying the vrs system could be less costly than boring a new tunnel

A surface route is not an option, look at the topology. There's a reason it was built to begin with.

The tunnel isn't going anywhere nor going to be "abandoned". Technology exists (and is not cutting edge) to prevent further large scale damage to the structure. This spring was a wake up call.

Bring back the Hoot, Toot and Whistle for half way around the tunnel! Sorry I couldn't help it.

Doubt that two trains each way a day would attract much of an investment in any regard.