Station Aficionado wrote:A bit of track improvement that will benefit the Carolinian, Palmetto and Silvers:
The following release is from NCDOT:
This month, CSX, in partnership with NCDOT, will begin construction on a series of projects to build universal crossovers on the CSX A-line in three eastern North Carolina locations: South Weldon, Enfield, and Rocky Mount. Construction at the three project locations will include grading, drainage improvements, track, and signal construction.
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The crossovers will enable trains to cross over from one track to another regardless of direction, allowing passenger and freight trains to operate more fluidly. Three Amtrak passenger trains operate on this section of railroad, which runs north to Richmond and south through Fayetteville to Florida.
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Well that explains why CSX replaced every SCL intermediate signal between Rocky Mount and Petersburg EXCEPT for
MP 102 and
MP 114 at Enfield and Rockey Mount. Why use your own $ for upgrades when you can get the state to pay.
The Enfield and Rocky Mount locations will split 4-mile and 6-mile sections of double track in half, creating two sidings where there was one. I ride this route twice a year and that is where Trains 92 and 79 pass. The new Enfield crossover will mean the dispatcher won't have to reserve the entire siding for T79 or T92 to pass. The Rocky Mount crossover will provide greater flexibility for T92 and 79 to pass and not have to have T79 platform across track #1 at Rockey Mount. Twice I have had T79 do a "pull in" pass at BATTLE interlocking and two more times I have had T79 platform on the small duckboard across track one.
The South Weldon crossover is a bit of a puzzler. The interlocking already exists, but the crossover is facing point only. It splits a 4 mile siding in half and I am not seeing how an extra crossover will increase capacity much.