Norfolk Southern Corporation has launched East Edge, a newly cleared double–stack intermodal corridor connecting Chicago and New England. The service reduces transit times by up to 10 hours, adds substantial network capacity and replaces a slower, single–stack route with a modern, high–efficiency double-stack route into a major eastern market. t spanning more than 40 years of engineering work and infrastructure modernization. With the new route now open, Norfolk Southern projects significant intermodal growth in this new lane over the next two years. Trains operate via a new connection at Voorheesville, N.Y. with CSX trackage. Trains operate over CSX trackage to Worcester, Massachusetts, avoiding clearance issues through the Hoosack Tunnel.
Rising consumer demand, the surge in e–commerce and expanding distribution hubs have long outpaced freight rail capacity in New England, pushing many shippers to rely heavily on trucking. East Edge directly addresses that challenge by delivering:
- A high–capacity rail gateway in Ayer, Mass., New England’s primary intermodal hub
- A faster, more resilient supply chain connection between Chicago and the Northeast
- Significantly greater load flexibility and balanced network flows in the region
The cleared route enables 9,000–foot trains to run fully double–stacked — a shift that dramatically increases the number of containers that can move through Ayer. Historically, the terminal has handled a peak of roughly 80,000 lifts annually; a single double–stacked 9,000–foot train can support up to 200,000 loads a year, creating long–term growth opportunity.
East Edge reflects deep engineering expertise and close coordination across multiple partners including short lines Berkshire & Eastern Railroad and Providence & Worcester Railroad, state transportation agencies, another Class I railroad and local partners. The project modernized the route end–to–end through:
Track & Infrastructure Upgrades
- 15 miles of track rebuilt, including 13,600+ new crossties
- 14 crossings renewed, 7 greaser pads installed, 15 miles of brush/ditch clearing
- New crew–change walking pads for safer, more efficient operations
Clearance & Structural Improvements
- Three bridges raised in Massachusetts by 12–18 inches
- 150 bridge ties and 27 culverts replaced
- 2,000 feet of tunnel clearance engineered in Worcester using a specialized direct–fastened floor system typically reserved for passenger rail
Safety & Signal Enhancements
- Nine crossings reactivated with renewed protections; one new crossing installed with another Class I railroad
- New Automatic Equipment Identification reader installed for precise car and locomotive tracking
- New approach signal added in Delanson, NY
- End–to–end modernization of safety systems to support predictable, high–capacity double–stack operations
-via Press Release
