Here is some more fuel for the fire about the east end of the Southern tier. An interesting effect of expanded sea-based port-terminal traffic on the location of intermodal terminals for local traffic to/from the west. Related, consistent with this story, some time ago I think NS stopped hauling roadrailers to the NJ port area for local distribution, and now unloads them in the eastern PA area and trucks them in from there. Regarding the relationship to Portageville, those trains to the new intermodal terminals will have to come from somewhere. JS
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Susquehanna/message/19321
"Some major companies are planning and making initial investments in projects
they see as needed in a post-recession economnic recovery. My employer is one of
those companies.
To that end, expanded domestic intermodal capacity into the southern New England
and NYC metro region is seen as a key growth point. The New Jersey terminals are
reaching capacity and any future growth is going to be aimed at handling
overseas freight.
Therefore, any future domestic intermodal capacity is going to have to be gained
by building and expanding at inland locations. I point to the new CSX intermodal
terminal recently built in Chambersburg, PA to vent expanding domestic
intermodal growth away from the Baltimore intermodal terminals and their marine
intermodal business.
Look for future development of one or more intermodal terminals along the
eastern end of the Southern Tier to take advantage of lower property costs and
the adjoining highway network (I-87, I-287, I-84 and I-86) to form a regional
intermodal endpoint distribution network. That will require at least one
additional train each way per day for each terminal.
More trains for the Tier? Yeah, I believe it is on the way."