The purpose of Norfolk Southern’s Pittsburgh Vertical Clearance Project (PVCP) is to raise existing vehicular and pedestrian bridges to accommodate double-stacked trains along a 20-mile route from McKees Rocks to Braddock and thereby increase rail capacity between New York/New Jersey and Chicago. The project will enable the railroad to profit from the current expansion of … Continue reading The Pittsburgh Vertical Clearance Project and How it Will Affect You
About the Project
Pittsburgh Vertical Clearance Project Map
The black, or ‘Pittsburgh’, line depicts the proposed double-stacked route. The orange, or ‘Mon Line’, shows where double-stacked trains run currently. The callouts are the pinch points where Norfolk Southern wants to raise the vehicular bridges and the roads leading up to the bridges. Norfolk Southern justifies the need for adapting the Pittsburgh Line through … Continue reading PVCP Map and Affected Bridges
Some of the Bridges Affected by the PVCP
Here are pictures of a few of the bridges affected by the railroad's plans.
Who’s Paying for This Project?
We taxpayers are paying the bulk of the cost of this project, yet gain nothing from it, while the railroad stands to make millions. We believe that Norfolk Southern wants taxpayers to pay for something we don't want, that damages our health and jeopardizes our safety, just to magnify their profits.
Where the Double-Stacked Trains Run Now
Here is the existing Mon Line that runs beneath Mount Washington, where Norfolk Southern’s double-stacked trains pass freely now.
How the Southside Works Solved their Double-Stacked Problem
When the Southside Works was under construction, the railroad agreed to bury their rail line. They increased the vertical clearance inside the 1,600 linear-foot-long stretch of the tracks, relocating utilities, improving drainage, and removing overhead structures near both tunnel portals. Look how beautiful! This might be an option to cover the trough and ‘heal the … Continue reading How the Southside Works Solved their Double-Stacked Problem