NEWS - Wayne railroad diamond replacement project highlighted in new MDOT video

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                       THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2018 

CONTACT: Michael Frezell, MDOT Office of Communications, 517-281-6519
                      frezellm@michigan.gov                       

Wayne railroad diamond replacement project highlighted in new MDOT video

Fast facts:
- A new railroad four-diamond crossing was installed in Wayne on Aug. 14-15.
- The diamond crossing is owned jointly by MDOT and CSX Transportation.
- This rail crossing is used by Amtrak passenger trains and CSX and Norfolk Southern freight trains.

August 23, 2018 -- Crews with Amtrak, CSX Transportation, and their contractors, successfully replaced a four-diamond railroad crossing in Wayne as part of a planned maintenance project. A railroad diamond is an intersection between two or more rail lines, in this case, owned by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and CSX. The project was funded 75 percent by CSX and 25 percent by MDOT. A video of the process has been posted to MDOT's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKekNt-YDpM            

            These types of improvements are vital for passenger and freight operations, improving safety, increasing reliability, and allowing for increased passenger train speeds.

            Work on the crossing began at 7:45 p.m. Aug. 14 a Norfolk Southern Railroad (NS) freight train passed through. The project entailed removing the old diamond crossing and carefully installing a new prefabricated unit. Complicating this project was a diamond comprised of four crossings, making it both a heavy lift and requiring precision alignment to reconnect to existing rail lines, as well as disrupting busy passenger and freight rail services. Amtrak Wolverine trains were terminated at Ann Arbor with bus service bridging the gap to Dearborn, Detroit, Royal Oak, Troy, and Pontiac, while CSX and NS freight trains were either rerouted or halted.

            With the project completed at 4 p.m. Aug. 15, a freight train carefully traveled through the new diamond, testing the construction work. Revenue Amtrak service resumed through Wayne the morning of Aug. 16.

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