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Based on my understanding, since earlier this year, CSX has been routing phosphate trains/empties between Chicago and Florida as well as ethanol trains/empties destined to GA & FL through Evansville and Nashville rather than Cincinnati and Corbin as had been the practice for the last few years.

Currently, grain and ethanol to the Charlotte area is still being routed through Cincinnati but heads east towards to C&O and then down the Big Sandy/Clnchfield.

My question is what routing north and west of Cincinnati did the majority of these ethanol and phosphate trains take to get to Cincinnati, and is routing these trains via Evansville and Nashville saving one or more sets of crews? Would enjoy learning more about this change and what benefits/flexibility the various routes offer.

Some examples of trains previously routed through and south of Cincy via Corbin would be K802/K803 & K810/K811 for phosphate moves, and K402/K403 & K422/K423 for ethanol moves. What was the routing to get to Cincy?

All these took the Toledo sub to Deshler and the Garrett sub toward Chicago.

JoJames wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 22, 2020 9:52 pm

All these took the Toledo sub to Deshler and the Garrett sub toward Chicago.

Thank you very much for the info! Are either of these subs having capacity issues that would cause CSX to reroute these K-trains via Evansville, IN instead?

I would say No.

JoJames wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 23, 2020 10:39 pm

I would say No.

Good to know -- thanks so much for your replies!

What trains are left on the Corbin sub? Seems like CSX is trying to avoid Corbin or am I wrong?

dave989 wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 25, 2020 5:02 pm

What trains are left on the Corbin sub? Seems like CSX is trying to avoid Corbin or am I wrong?

It seems that way.

The only scheduled through trains are Q541/Q542 between Waycross & Cincinnati. It seems as though an occasional grain or phosphate train to/from Michigan/Ohio and the deep Southeast will still make an appearance.

Unit limestone trains will originate as needed at a quarry at Mt. Vernon, KY. There are locals based out of Patio and Corbin, with a few coal trains still originating at Corbin and heading either north or south from there. Loaded coal is coming south of Cincinnati from Indiana to Bull Run in Tennessee (which is closing by 2023), and occasional Stilesboro (GA Power) trains are also passing through to/from a mine in PA.

Everything else, including the K trains to/from Chicago, has been rerouted.

Too bad. There was a lot of trains on that line until they started routing stuff around Queensgate. When CSX aquired the "Bee line" from Conrail that started the sequence of events to move traffic away from Queensgate.