CSX Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

CSX Builds Zero-Emission Hydrogen Locomotive In Huntington

CSX No. 2100 was repowered from a kit developed in Canada by Canadian Pacific. It emits only water vapor and no carbon dioxide, depending on how the hydrogen was produced.

CSX unveiled a hydrogen-powered locomotive this week, rebuilt from a diesel locomotive at its Huntington Shop.

CSX No. 2100 was repowered from a kit developed in Canada by Canadian Pacific. It emits only water vapor and no carbon dioxide, depending on how the hydrogen was produced.

“The successful debut of our first hydrogen-powered locomotive stands as a testament to the exceptional skill and dedication of our employees at the CSX Huntington locomotive shop,” CEO Joe Hinrichs said in a statement.

Emissions from transportation are the largest single source of carbon dioxide emissions, and major railroads are looking for opportunities to repower diesel locomotives with alternative fuels.

In addition to hydrogen, some locomotives operate with liquefied natural gas or run on batteries.

Thanks to a federal grant, CSX will replace a small fleet of diesel locomotives with battery powered ones at the Curtis Bay coal export terminal in Baltimore.

Snow Delays Repairs After Morgan County Train Derailment

Weather-related delays have pushed back the repairs of a Morgan County rail line after 10 cars on a CSX Transportation train derailed Monday afternoon.

After 10 cars on a CSX Transportation train derailed in rural Morgan County Monday, emergency personnel restored one of two affected rail lines in less than a day.

Emergency officials said they have already removed the rail cars involved in the incident.

But recent snow in the Eastern Panhandle has pushed back repairs on the other affected rail line, according to Sheriee Bowman, CSX senior manager of media relations.

Originally, CSX expected to complete rail line repairs Wednesday afternoon. But Bowman wrote in an email that weather has played a role in delaying the rail repairs.

As a result, service has not yet been restored to the Morgan County portion of the railway affected by the derailment.

As of Thursday, “work will continue throughout the day until service is fully restored,” Bowman wrote.

She did not specify when CSX expects to fully complete the rail line repairs.

OmniTrax Will Continue Operations Of Potomac Eagle

OmniTrax took over operations of the South Branch Valley Railroad on Dec. 1. The company told legislators a month into its 40 year lease with that state, that it plans to continue the operations of Potomac Eagle, a scenic passenger train.

Denver-based OmniTrax operates 27 shortline freight railroads nationwide.

The 52-mile stretch of rail connects Petersburg to Green Spring, where it interchanges with CSX. It is the company’s newest acquisition.

In 2019, OmniTrax acquired the Winchester & Western Railroad operations, making the South Branch Valley Railroad its second operation acquisition in the state. However this will be the first scenic tourism train in the company’s entire operating portfolio.

Stacey Posey, vice president of operations for OmniTrax’s central region, said the company will not only retain the Potomac Eagle scenic passenger train but that it has ongoing discussions to expand the operations. He said state officials told him that it was important that the Potomac Eagle be protected, and even though he has no experience running a tourism train, he is committed to maintaining the Potomac Eagle.

“I was in Chicago for eight years and we would run 120 trains a day, I think I can run two or three trains a day on the South Branch and not mess with that (the Potomac Eagle) train at all,” Posey said. “It will run on time, it will continue to run and we will continue to support the Potomac Eagle as they grow.

The Potomac Eagle operates during the summer and autumn, and usually has around 44,000 passengers a year.

OmniTrax has an agreement with the state for a 50/50 rail maintenance cost split with the state. However, as utilization of the South Branch Valley Railroad increases, so will OmniTrax’s percentage cost share.

The largest freight customer is Pilgrim’s Pride in Moorefield. Rail shipments of grain support the company’s poultry operations in the area.

“As carloads grow, we assume more maintenance and more responsibility for the maintenance,” Posey said.

State-Owned South Branch Valley Railroad Gains New Operator

Denver-based OmniTrax will operate and manage the South Branch Valley Railroad beginning on Dec. 1.

A new operator has been chosen for a state-owned shortline railroad in the Potomac Highlands.

Denver-based OmniTrax will operate and manage the South Branch Valley Railroad beginning on Dec. 1.

The South Branch Valley is a 52-mile railroad from Petersburg to Green Spring, where it interchanges with CSX.

The line has been owned by the West Virginia Department of Transportation since 1978. The railroad is headquartered in Moorefield.

The South Branch Valley moves freight traffic and runs the Potomac Eagle passenger trains.

OmniTrax also operates the Winchester and Western Railroad in West Virginia. The company has 24 additional railroad properties nationwide.

Groups Petition EPA To Regulate Coal Dust From Trains

The Sierra Club and other organizations submitted a petition for rulemaking this week to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Environmental and public health groups want to require railroads to prevent coal dust from escaping from trains.

The Sierra Club and other organizations submitted a petition for rulemaking this week to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

They want the EPA to regulate the coal dust that comes off trains. Coal-hauling railroads, including Norfolk Southern and CSX, would be required to seek permits under the Clean Water Act.

The landmark law has never been applied to transporting coal by rail. Railroads have been transporting coal in open-top cars for more than a century. Some treat coal loads with chemical compounds to prevent dust from blowing off.

Coal dust and particles can contaminate drinking water and aquatic life, the groups say.

They also say the dust can pollute the air, increasing the risk of asthma, bronchitis and heart disease.

In 2019, the Association of American Railroads, the industry’s principal lobbying group, anticipating potential regulatory action, filed a petition with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to exempt coal dust from trains from the Clean Water Act.

The following year, the agency declined to grant the exemption.

2 W.Va. Shortline Railroads Get Federal Funding For Upgrades

The Appalachian & Ohio Railroad and the Kanawha River Railroad will receive as much as $16 million and $19 million, respectively.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is giving two West Virginia shortline railroads money for improvements.

The Appalachian & Ohio Railroad and the Kanawha River Railroad will receive as much as $16 million and $19 million, respectively.

That’s from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement Program, made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.

The two railroads will use the money to rehabilitate track, locomotives, bridges and tunnels.

The Appalachian & Ohio operates 158 miles of track between Grafton and Cowen and hauls primarily coal. It interchanges with CSX.

The Kanawha River Railroad operates 385 miles of track from Columbus, Ohio, to Elmore, West Virginia, and hauls coal, chemicals, cement, aggregates and metals. It interchanges with Norfolk Southern and CSX.

The two awards are part of USDOT’s $1.4 billion total investment for 70 projects in 35 states.