USA: Norfolk Southern officially opened its $97m Franklin County Regional Intermodal Facility at Greencastle, Pennsylvania, on January 21. Intended as a major gateway for freight in the Mid-Atlantic region, the terminal is located north of Hagerstown, adjacent to the Interstate 81 corridor linking central Pennsylvania, western Maryland and northern Virginia. It has been developed through a public-private partnership, with NS contributing $52m and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania $45m. The terminal has 670 paved trailer/container parking spots, and features low-emission cranes and hostler tractors. The administration building meets Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design standards. FCRIF is the third intermodal terminal that NS has opened since mid-2012 as part of its Crescent Corridor rail freight programme, following facilities in Birmingham and Memphis. Construction of a fourth intermodal terminal is underway in Charlotte. More...
