Heartland Corridor project gets $95 million in federal funding

Heartland Corridor project gets $95 million in federal funding    Norfolk Southern Railway Co. has reached agreement with the states of Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia for $95 million in federal funding for the Heartland Corridor rail double-stack clearance project between Virginia port terminals and the Midwest.
   The Heartland Corridor will enable double-stacked international maritime and domestic containers to be transported by rail between the Hampton Roads region of Virginia and locations in the Midwest by raising tunnel clearances and modifying other overhead obstructions in western Virginia, West Virginia, and through to Columbus, Ohio.
   The Federal Highway Administration’s Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division will serve as project leader. The parties expect the clearance construction to be completed by the end of 2009.
   “This project is a prime example of how a public-private partnership can result in major benefit to the economy,” said Wick Moorman, Norfolk Southern’s chief executive officer. “The expanded rail capacity and improved transit times between Hampton Roads and the Midwest will stimulate economic growth throughout the region and enhance the nation’s ability to compete for international trade.”