CSX Track Upgrades & Infrastructure of Pan Am

What surprises me, but probably shouldn’t, is how much stick rail still seems to be around in Maine on the videos despite 3 years of intense upgrade work

That also shouldn't. Look at how many hundreds of miles of deplorable trackage came with the acquisition. Basically anything that the passenger trains didn't touch. Even the stuff Amtrak ran over was riddled with long term slow downs. They have owned the property for what, 26 months? They aren't going to replace everything overnight, they told the STB it was a 5 year capital plan. They have thousands of other route miles across the Eastern US to balance their Cap-Ex with.

For some reason I thought they said 3 yrs for the intense rebuild
I could have misremembered
And I suspect they underestimated how much work was needed

Doubtful... they knew what they were in for. They literally toured the property.

Doubtful, but correct. Whether thorough due diligence was performed or not on the physical plant (it happened under a COO no longer there), direct from the horses mouth that they continue to uncover surprises requiring more cap-ex up front than they had planned.

Don't forget though that a lot of trackwork was in the queue in the form of grants/NNEPRA projects, so in a strange sense it also worked in CSX' favor. Corman starting shop up in Maine was no doubt a strategic decision based on the amount of work not just here but regionally and for years to come... Good to see this area catching up with the rest of the world though.

CSX with contractor saw cutting pavement at Town Farm Rd. in Westford,Ma. A track panel has been dropped off here, so the crossing should be done soon in addition to Depot St. Pan Am did Town Farm not too long ago.

Also B+E is doing trackwork 312 to WL a lot recently.

CN9634 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 19, 2024 1:34 pm Don't forget though that a lot of trackwork was in the queue in the form of grants/NNEPRA projects, so in a strange sense it also worked in CSX' favor. Corman starting shop up in Maine was no doubt a strategic decision based on the amount of work not just here but regionally and for years to come... Good to see this area catching up with the rest of the world though.

If you are referring to the emergency division at Waterville, that shut down several months ago.

Loram Rail grinder through CPF Westford 13:45, started at 312 going to NC for now.

The 4 downtown Bangor crossings are being redone in the next 2 weeks

Corman has CWR in as far as Readfield as of yesterday. There is still CWR on the ground around Bartlett Road, but it looks like they aren't replacing the CWR Guilford Installed between there and Belgrade. At Belgrade they are doing between the two crossings and probably 1/4 of a mile west of the crossing by Hammond Lumber and about 1000 feet east of the main road crossing. From there to Waterville it looks like they are only really replacing rail through downtown Oakland and on the curves.
They will probably be able to install the rail from CPF-110 to CPF-109 over the big bridge this fall and maybe more east of NMJ before winter hits.

Per a friend the Rail grinder is parked in Dover Yard this morning.

The 2nd rail train was being unloaded at MP 1 in Keag yesterday. Probably filling in the last spots of stick rail east of NMJ

Per a post in one of the Facebook groups, RJ Corman rail crew was installing CWR in Belgrade today. Getting closer to Waterville! Also, the 2nd CWR train has been emptied and is slowly heading back west

I was told a rail gang is heading up to do from NMJ to Passadumkeag and then some rail up to Mattawamkeag. I don't think they dumped any through Lincoln yet. They are aiming to do a mile of rail per day.