by Farringdon
Can anybody comment on the current construction projects going on around the Conrail Richmond Industrial Track? I know there is a lot of construction related to I-95 and the rerouting and improvement of Richmond Street. And part of that necessarily involves removing and replacing the Conrail bridge over Richmond Street (as I understand it, part of the goal is to increase the clearance for that bridge). Although I can’t get that close to the site, it looks like one of the new railroad spans over Richmond Street is oriented more south and east, as opposed to north and east towards Ann Street.
But I see lots of other railroad-related construction equipment around Richmond Street, and I see that same equipment working farther west along the Lehigh viaduct. From both I-95 and the El I can see that large amounts of earth next to the trackbed has been cleared or leveled, which means that whatever is going on is going on all the way from east of Richmond Street up to Kensington Avenue.
What is weird to me is that two completely different people have suggested to me that there is some kind of passenger-railroad expansion project that is going on and is part of this construction. They can’t provide any specifics, I haven’t seen anything in the media, and I told both of these people that we’re already not maintaining the passenger rail service we have, so I can’t see building new capacity in this corner of Philadelphia.
So possibly this is an expansion of the freight capacity going into the Tioga Marine Terminal, which I believe is increasing its activity. (And perhaps there’s a very slim chance that some kind of passenger service is involved.) Or perhaps they are trying to convert some part of the Lehigh viaduct into some kind of public space (park/trail/“High Line” kind of area).
Final observation: In the past several months there are lots of NS boxcars on the Lehigh viaduct that you can see from the street and from I-95. But in over 20 years, I have not seen any boxcars up there, just tankers and the occasional hopper (though there might be some boxcars in the early Rocky movies!). Is it possible those boxcars are hauling construction supplies?
Any thoughts, facts, or ideas are very much appreciated.
But I see lots of other railroad-related construction equipment around Richmond Street, and I see that same equipment working farther west along the Lehigh viaduct. From both I-95 and the El I can see that large amounts of earth next to the trackbed has been cleared or leveled, which means that whatever is going on is going on all the way from east of Richmond Street up to Kensington Avenue.
What is weird to me is that two completely different people have suggested to me that there is some kind of passenger-railroad expansion project that is going on and is part of this construction. They can’t provide any specifics, I haven’t seen anything in the media, and I told both of these people that we’re already not maintaining the passenger rail service we have, so I can’t see building new capacity in this corner of Philadelphia.
So possibly this is an expansion of the freight capacity going into the Tioga Marine Terminal, which I believe is increasing its activity. (And perhaps there’s a very slim chance that some kind of passenger service is involved.) Or perhaps they are trying to convert some part of the Lehigh viaduct into some kind of public space (park/trail/“High Line” kind of area).
Final observation: In the past several months there are lots of NS boxcars on the Lehigh viaduct that you can see from the street and from I-95. But in over 20 years, I have not seen any boxcars up there, just tankers and the occasional hopper (though there might be some boxcars in the early Rocky movies!). Is it possible those boxcars are hauling construction supplies?
Any thoughts, facts, or ideas are very much appreciated.