Popes Creek Subdivision fate?

The Popes Creek Subdivision carrier the coal to the Southern Maryland's Morgantown power plant at Rt 301 & the Potomac. Morgantown's coal plant is shutting down in June 2022.

What other industries does the Subdivision supply?
Will they be enough to keep it alive?

There are a few lumber warehouses and aggregate suppliers located along the line; however, it doesn't appear that some receive rail service. There is also the Chalk Point Generating Station, but they are planning to close down in 2022. I don't believe the remaining traffic will be enough to keep the line around. Perhaps it will be abandoned. Perhaps it will be spun-off to a shortline. Mothballing is always an option. MARC did look into using the line for commuter service a few years ago, but that plan never went through. I guess time will tell.

Shortline614 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 22, 2021 9:59 am There are a few lumber warehouses and aggregate suppliers located along the line; however, it doesn't appear that some receive rail service. There is also the Chalk Point Generating Station, but they are planning to close down in 2022. I don't believe the remaining traffic will be enough to keep the line around. Perhaps it will be abandoned. Perhaps it will be spun-off to a shortline. Mothballing is always an option. MARC did look into using the line for commuter service a few years ago, but that plan never went through. I guess time will tell.

If the state was smart, it'd buy it from CSX, when they abandon it , and bring in a shoreline operator.

scratchyX1
If the state was smart, it'd buy it from CSX, when they abandon it , and bring in a shoreline operator.

A shoreline operator would need to acquire trackage rights on the NEC as there is no interchange yard in Bowie for inbound and outbound freight cars.

Sand Box John wrote: ↑Tue Aug 10, 2021 2:06 am scratchyX1
If the state was smart, it'd buy it from CSX, when they abandon it , and bring in a shoreline operator.

A shoreline operator would need to acquire trackage rights on the NEC as there is no interchange yard in Bowie for inbound and outbound freight cars.

Which would require PTC equipped locomotives, to run on the NEC, right?
There's room to build a siding for interchange, near the Bowie Y.
I'm assuming that NS/CSX wouldn't run a local up the NEC at night (or down from Bayview yard) to exchange cars.

NS does run a local out of Bayview at night as far Ardwick (just past New Carrollton.)

amtrakhogger wrote: ↑Tue Aug 10, 2021 9:46 pm NS does run a local out of Bayview at night as far Ardwick (just past New Carrollton.)

This is the 4 time a week freight train that was used as the "reason" for 2 unpowered tubes for the great circle tunnel?
So, a siding around zug road would work for an interchange.
Or , depending on the shortline, a lease of NS/CSX power with PTC.
Or even purchase/lease one of amtrak's Dash-8s, with PTC capability.

scratchyX1
There's room to build a siding for interchange, near the Bowie Y.

Actually no as the catenary towers on the east side of the of the tracks leave no room for putting in sidings.

Sand Box John wrote: ↑Thu Aug 12, 2021 8:10 pm scratchyX1
There's room to build a siding for interchange, near the Bowie Y.

Actually no as the catenary towers on the east side of the of the tracks leave no room for putting in sidings.

I meant the siding is built on the branch itself, requiring the local to leave the NEC for interchange.

scratchyX1
I meant the siding is built on the branch itself, requiring the local to leave the NEC for interchange.

That being said, the distance between the south leg of the Y and the grade crossing at Chestnut Avenue would limit it to 3,750'.

It's a real shame MARC won't use the line. I don't see the light rail to Branch Ave being popular. Just thinking about how much land is around the line in Southern Maryland for park and ride, it would be amazing. Plus, there's that huge parking lot at Route 4 and 301 a short walk to the tracks.

Upgrade the line to 79mph and then do 110mph running on the NEC, and I bet you could overcome the need to go to Bowie and turn around.

gprimr1 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 30, 2021 12:55 pm It's a real shame MARC won't use the line. I don't see the light rail to Branch Ave being popular. Just thinking about how much land is around the line in Southern Maryland for park and ride, it would be amazing. Plus, there's that huge parking lot at Route 4 and 301 a short walk to the tracks.

Upgrade the line to 79mph and then do 110mph running on the NEC, and I bet you could overcome the need to go to Bowie and turn around.

The studies done show that the light rail would be getting enough use that would almost demand heavier rail service. BRT would be at capacity , on opening.

Thinking outside the box, imagine if the md rennfest relocated to near tracks in Southern MD.
That alone would be enough to merit something similar to the ballgame trains.

gprimr1
It's a real shame MARC won't use the line. I don't see the light rail to Branch Ave being popular. Just thinking about how much land is around the line in Southern Maryland for park and ride, it would be amazing. Plus, there's that huge parking lot at Route 4 and 301 a short walk to the tracks.

Upgrade the line to 79mph and then do 110mph running on the NEC, and I bet you could overcome the need to go to Bowie and turn around.

In one of my WMATA Metrorail fantasy I created more then 20 years I extended the Orange and Blue line to Bowie and the Green line to Upper Marlboro. The schema was based on those Metrorail terminal stations being a transfer point between a MARC service running between Saint Charles and Baltimore.