Norfolk Southern Awards 9-Crossing Alabama Contract

BIRMINGHAM, United States – Norfolk Southern Railway partnered with the Alabama municipalities of Birmingham and Trussville to award engineering consultancy Kimley-Horn a preliminary contract to design grade-separation works across an urban freight corridor. The REDESIGN Alabama initiative will eliminate nine street-level crossings and construct 11 miles of train holding capacity alongside a two-mile siding expansion at Norris Yard. Engineering and environmental evaluations commenced in late 2024 and will run for approximately two years before civil construction begins.

What Is the Full Scope of This Project?

The REDESIGN Alabama project eliminates nine road-rail grade crossings while introducing three dedicated grade separations between Birmingham’s Woodlawn district and Trussville. Civil works outlined in preliminary engineering plans include a vehicular underpass at Brussels Avenue, a grade-separated highway bridge at Mary Taylor Road, and an exclusive pedestrian subway structure near 59th Street. To support roadway connectivity around closed rights-of-way, municipal agencies will extend 5th Avenue South directly to Brussels Avenue and add dedicated pedestrian sidewalks. On the operational rail side, Norfolk Southern will construct a two-mile siding track extension directly into Norris Yard in Trussville, supplemented by 11 miles of designated mainline landing zones designed to stage idling freight trains outside active community road networks.

Key Project Data

How Does This Compare to Similar Projects?

Grade-crossing eliminations coupled with terminal siding extensions reflect an accelerating international push to decouple freight train length expansions from municipal arterial gridlock. North American freight operators have increasingly prioritized yard-adjacent sidings to handle longer train consists without blocking crossings, a dynamic mirrored in Canada where capital spending programs supported record infrastructure investments and grade-crossing safety improvements across 43,000 track kilometers (Source: Railway Association of Canada, 2025). On a global scale, multimodal corridor decongestion represents a core priority for institutional lenders, evidenced by the World Bank expanding its railway investment portfolio from $4.5 billion in 2025 to over $6 billion through 2030 to resolve freight bottlenecks and modernize freight terminals (Source: World Bank, 2025). Independent verification of the total capital expenditure allocated for REDESIGN Alabama construction was not available at time of publication.

Editor’s Analysis

Precision Scheduled Railroading operating models created systemic friction in mid-sized metropolitan terminals by running longer manifest trains past classification yards with insufficient staging tracks. Norfolk Southern’s commitment to 11 miles of designated landing zones directly confronts regulatory scrutiny from the Federal Railroad Administration regarding blocked public crossings. By securing municipal co-sponsorship with Birmingham and Trussville, the railroad establishes a joint funding structure critical for capturing federal grade-crossing elimination grants.

FAQ

Q: Which crossings will be closed under the REDESIGN Alabama program?
A: The project will close nine at-grade railroad crossings between the Woodlawn neighborhood in Birmingham and the city of Trussville. Motor vehicle traffic will be redirected toward new grade separations, including a bridge at Mary Taylor Road and an underpass at Brussels Avenue.

Q: What is the timeline for Kimley-Horn to complete the design phase?
A: Kimley-Horn is scheduled to complete preliminary engineering, design documentation, and environmental reviews over a two-year timeframe. Official dates for utility relocations and heavy civil construction have not been disclosed by the project partners.

Q: How will the project improve Norfolk Southern train movements at Norris Yard?
A: Norfolk Southern will extend its existing siding track by two miles into Norris Yard and establish 11 miles of mainline landing zones. These infrastructure additions allow inbound and outbound freight trains to stage and pass each other without stopping across municipal street intersections.