CSX Building More Freight Line Tracks in Rockland

A $26 million project by CSX railroad to expand freight track capacity in New York will include new tracks in Haverstraw.

The railroad said the work on its River Line between northern New Jersey and the Albany region will enable CSX to handle more trains and support the growth of crude oil moving by rail, intermodal shipments, automobiles and other businesses while maintaining strong service performance.

CSX said a total of 18 miles of second track will be constructed over the next two to three years that will create additional capacity on the Hudson River’s west shore. Preliminary work at the sites in Haverstraw, Ravena-Coxsackie and Catskill is already complete, with construction set to begin early this year.

“It’s critically important that we be prepared to meet our customer’s needs as they grow,” said Clarence Gooden, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at CSX. “The River Line is a key lane for growth and will further contribute to economic development as well as environmental benefits through CSX’s terrific fuel efficiency.”

Capacity on the River Line was last expanded in 2005, according to CSX. Consistent growth in rail traffic on the line over the last several years, along with growth projections, has led CSX to boost the corridor’s capacity.

The River Line is part of CSX’s I-90 corridor that connects Chicago with New York, northern New Jersey, and the Philadelphia areas, and supports some of the network’s highest velocity and volumes – much like when it existed as the centerpiece of the predecessor New York Central System.

“We continually model our growth projections to ensure that we are fully leveraging our network capacity,” said Oscar Munoz, executive vice president and chief operating officer of CSX. “Today, we have sufficient capacity for our near-term growth projections, and the capacity expansion initiatives will ensure we’re prepared for additional demand for our services. Demand for crude oil, for example, in the New Jersey and Philadelphia area may be as much as five trains per day, or over 400,000 barrels, over the next couple of years. Our capacity initiatives give us the capability to handle this growth along with business opportunities in our merchandise, automotive and intermodal sectors.”

More than 30 trains daily run through Rockland County on the River Line.