The once dormant viaduct over Cedar Fork now echoes a renewed sense of progress, as the Cincinnati Eastern Railroad (CCET) steadily advances on reviving a long-inactive stretch of railway. The restoration effort focuses on sections of the former Cincinnati & Eastern/Norfolk & Western/Norfolk Southern line between Cincinnati and Portsmouth.
The dormant viaduct over Cedar Fork now echoes a renewed sense of progress, as the Cincinnati Eastern Railroad (CCET) steadily advances on reviving a long-inactive stretch of railway. The restoration effort focuses on sections of the former Cincinnati & Eastern/Norfolk & Western/Norfolk Southern line between Cincinnati and Portsmouth.
Due to the challenges presented by the terrain’s sharp curves and long grades, as well as the scarcity of customers and a bridge deemed structurally deficient over the Scioto River, Norfolk Southern (NS) made the decision to railbank the line between Peebles and Vera Junction in 2001.
However, a resurgence began in 2014 when CCET initiated operations over a portion of NS’s dormant line. Their endeavor expanded to Cedar Fork for the storage of cars, and in November 2021, the rail company successfully operated its first revenue unit stone train. The train’s journey, carrying cargo from Lehigh Hanson Aggregates at Plum Run to a transload facility in Milford, marked a significant milestone in the line’s reactivation.
Fast forward to 2023, CCET’s trains are now running regularly between Claire and Plum Run, with additional car storage facilities extending east to Jaybird Road. However, the future of the line from Jaybird Road to Portsmouth Junction, still owned by NS and out-of-service, remains undetermined.
The railroad’s resurgence is not only a symbol of economic revival but a testament to CCET’s commitment to reclaiming this valuable transportation corridor. While many questions still linger around the final stages of restoration, one thing is clear: the Cincinnati Eastern Railroad is firmly back on track.
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Add Yours →Great read, its always great to see a line saved instead of ripped up. More should have been railbanked.