Buckingham Branch Railroad launches Norfolk division

The Buckingham Branch Railroad yesterday launched its new Norfolk division, providing freight-rail service between Coleman Place in Norfolk and Little Creek in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

The new division will expand transportation options in the most industrial area in Virginia, said Buckingham Branch President Steve Powell in a press release.

The new division will be an important link in the supply chain for materials used in the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel expansion project by delivering ballast and other raw materials to the staging site. The project involves the construction of a $756 million mile-long parallel tube under Thimble Shoal Channel.

In addition to the tunnel joint venture, the railroad's Norfolk division will serve regional businesses Dynaric, Gordon Paper Co. and MidAtlantic Transload. The railroad has plans to increase business through available properties along the line and increased transloading at Little Creek Yard, company officials said.

Interchanges with connecting railroads Norfolk Southern Railway, CSX and Norfolk Portsmouth Belt Line will provide additional options for service, they said.

Buckingham Branch acquired the track for the Norfolk division from Bay Coast Railroad.