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Modernization at Birmingham junction boosts rail efficiency
Oct 28, 2025
The 14th Street junction in Birmingham, Alabama, has long been a high-traffic location with legacy components that challenged reliability. Through a collaborative effort, Norfolk Southern and CSX replaced outdated elements with modern turnouts, signals, and track panels — completing the final phase in just 48 hours. This joint effort transforms a key corridor, tripling NS train speeds and streamlining movement for 70 trains daily.
The result: faster train speeds, smoother operations through a vital interlocking, and reduced traffic congestion for the surrounding community.
Watch the video below to see how strong partnership and precise execution brought this major upgrade to life.
What we’re saying
“It took strong partnership and clear coordination to deliver a solution that benefits the region and both railroads. This project strengthens our network, improves performance, and creates lasting value for the communities and customers we serve.”
— Jared Hopewell, AVP Communications & Signals – Engineering, Norfolk Southern
Quick stats
- Project has been in discussion for over 10 years due to the complexity, coordination and alignment needed to work the best solution.
- Completed across 5 project phases, with a goal of reducing operational impact given these are heavy-tonnage lines for both railroads.
- Completed final phase in 48 hours, with combined efforts of 140 railroaders from NS and CSX.
- Installed 13 new signals, 17 new switches and over 300 feet of track panels.
- Retired 6 movable-point frogs (MPF) and replaced with standard turnouts.
- Increased speeds 3.5X (from 15 mph to 55 mph) for NS through area and reduced impact to CSX as traffic moves more quickly through the control point and turnouts.
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