More Thursday rail news:
NS sells Norfolk headquarters building
Norfolk Southern has sold its headquarters building in Norfolk,Va., as it prepares to relocate to Atlanta. TowneBank, based in Suffolk, Va., and the Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters have completed purchase of the Norfolk Southern Tower, with each planning to occupy 10 floors of the 21-story building. Terms of the deal were not disclosed; TowneBank’s name will go on the building, the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot reports. NS, which has been in the building since 1988, will continue to occupy some space in the building through 2021. The railroad announced in December It would move its headquarters to Atlanta [see “Norfolk Southern makes move to Atlanta official,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 12, 2019].
Court stops Mexico’s Maya Train project
A court in Mexico has halted work on the “Maya Train” project, which would link resorts with Mayan archaeological sites on the Yucatan, to safeguard “the right to health” for an indigenous group which requested an injunction. Agence France-Presse reports the National Fund for the Promotion of Tourism, which is overseeing the project, says the stoppage will be in force for the duration of the pandemic near the town of Palenque in Chiapas state. The $6.3 billion project will build a 900-mile tourist railroad in five states, and aims for completion in 2024. Kansas City Southern has reported expressed interest in operating the railroad once it is completed [see “Report: KCS interested in operating yet-to-be-built Mexican rail line,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 23, 2019].
Engineer error blamed for CSX derailment in Harpers Ferry
An error by the engineer led to the derailment of a CSX train that damaged a Harpers Ferry, W.Va., pedestrian bridge in December 2019, according to a report from the Federal Railroad Administration. The Martinsburg Journal-News reports used “excessive force” when beginning to move after a full stop, leading to the string-line derailment of seven cars, some of which went into the Potomac River [see “CSX derailment knocks out Appalachian Trail footbridge,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 21, 2019.] The bridge remains closed, although repairs are under way.
