Heartland Corridor

The Heartland Corridor is a public-private partnership between the Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) and the Federal Highway Administration and three U.S. states to improve railroad freight operations.

[1] The $150 million plan was developed to facilitate more efficient travel on NS rail lines between the Norfolk, Virginia port region and two Midwest destinations—Chicago, Illinois and Columbus, Ohio.

[2] One of the project goals was to increase clearances in tunnels to permit the operation of double-stack intermodal trains,[1] increasing the capacity of rail lines, shortening rail journeys and reducing tractor-trailer traffic.

[3] Construction began in 2007,[4][5][6] and the route opened for double stack service on September 9, 2010.

[1] The project involved raising clearances in 28 tunnels and 24 other overhead obstacles.