KCS has scheduled two Public Information meetings to start the process of upgrading the Gulfport Branch. The meetings will be held on 5/3/2011 in Hattiesbug, MS, and on 5/4/2011 in Gulfport, MS. The upgrade is in support of the $600M State Port expansion scheduled for completion in 2014. The Gulfport Branch is an isolated line (ex-MidSouth, ex-IC, ex-Gulf & Ship Island) approximately 75 miles long, running between the Mississippi State Port and CSX interchange in Gulfport, and the CN/IC and NS interchanges in Hattiesburg, MS. The Branch currently is jointed rail unsignalled territory restricted to 25 MPH. The upgrade will install CWR to allow double-stack container traffic at 55 MPH. I have not heard if the Branch will become signalled or remain controlled by Track Warrants. KCS committed to upgrade the Branch in 2004 when the Mississippi Legislature approved and funded a $40M bond issue authorizing the Mississippi Development Agency to purchase the line. That legislative action caught KCS Corporate by surprise, so they immediately committed to upgrade the line themselves to not lose the projected increase in container revenue. Unfortunately Hurricane Katrina put that action on hold for five years, but the upgrade process has started.
Sounds like a prototype for a new layout to me, a Gulf Coast port and Class I junction at one end, and a Class I junction at the other.
What's more, you can add the 75 miles of trackage rights on the CN/IC from Hattiesburg to Jackson to get to the KCS yard on the Meridian Speedway. OK, that probably would be staging tracks, but hey.....:tb-cool: OOPS, I forgot to welcome you to the TrainBoard, sorry 'bout that...:tb-embarrassed:
