Norfolk Southern opens third Crescent Corridor intermodal facility

Norfolk-based Norfolk Southern Corp. opened its third Crescent Corridor intermodal facility Monday, a $97 million terminal near Greencastle in South Central Pennsylvania.

Company officials said the facility will help advance Norfolk Southern’s multi-state rail infrastructure initiative connecting the Southeast and the Northeast.

The Franklin County Regional Intermodal Facility, located on 200 acres south of Greencastle and less than a mile from I-81, will connect Central Pennsylvania, Western Maryland, and Northern Virginia to domestic and world markets while creating some 126 jobs.

The facility is a public-private partnership involving $52 million from Norfolk Southern funds and $45 million from Pennsylvania.

The intermodal project is part of railroad’s Crescent Corridor,  a 2,500-mile network of rail and terminals.

NS constructed the facility’s administration building to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification standards. The railroad is incorporating low-emission cranes and hostler tractors as well as the latest gate and terminal automation in order to maintain air quality and support truck drivers.

The Franklin County Regional Intermodal Facility is the third Crescent Corridor intermodal terminal NS has opened since mid-2012, with facilities in Birmingham, Ala., and Memphis, Tenn., having started operations within the past six months. Construction of a fourth Crescent Corridor-related intermodal terminal, in Charlotte, N.C. is under way.

Norfolk Southern operates approximately 20,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia.