Eastern U.S. railroad CSX (NYSE: CSX) intends to increase the speed of its trains along a route in Alabama to Georgia as part of broader efforts to increase train velocity and improve network fluidity.
CSX plans to increase the speed limit from 25 mph to a maximum of 40 mph at locations from Montgomery, Alabama, to Waycross, Georgia, effective June 1, 2019.
The company said the train speed increase will “enhance capacity” along the corridor for the area’s manufacturers, farmers and marine ports, among other customers. Communities affected will include the Alabama towns of Troy, Ozark and Dothan and the Georgia towns of Thomasville, Quitman and Homerville.
Homerville is roughly 30 miles southwest of CSX’s rail yard in Waycross, Georgia, 150 miles southwest of Savannah, Georgia, and 115 miles northwest of Jacksonville, Florida.
The train length for this route will vary on rail freight volumes, CSX said.
The increase in train speed come as the company seeks to improve its network efficiency as part of its broader efforts to implement precision scheduled railroading, an operating model in which trains operate on a fixed schedule.
CSX’s average train speed across its network was 20.4 mph for the week ended May 17, according to company data published on May 22. That average velocity is 1 percent higher than the comparable week in 2018.