Norfolk Southern Corp., Norfolk, Va., opened its Franklin County Regional Intermodal Facility.

The $97 million terminal, located on 200 acres south of Greencastle, Pa., and less than a mile from Interstate 81, connects Central Pennsylvania, Western Maryland and Northern Virginia to domestic and world markets while creating 126 jobs at the site. The facility, a public-private partnership involving $52 million in Norfolk Southern funds and supported by a $45 million investment by Pennsylvania, is part of the company’s Crescent Corridor series of projects, a 2,500-mile network of rail and terminals that help moderate truck traffic on congested roadways and reduce carbon emissions.

“This terminal represents a milestone for Norfolk Southern and Franklin County,” says Wick Moorman, chief executive officer. “It is creating jobs here in Central Pennsylvania, positioning Norfolk Southern as the green transportation choice and serving the region’s freight transportation needs. This important endeavor would not be possible without the dedicated support of people in Washington, Harrisburg and here in Franklin County.”

The terminal, with its 670 paved trailer/container parking spots, will be a major gateway for freight in the Mid-Atlantic. Norfolk Southern projects that the new facility, in combination with other Nofolk Southern intermodal terminals in the state, will help divert hundreds of thousands of long-haul trucks off roadways in Pennsylvania and onto trains.

Norfolk Southern constructed the facility’s administration building to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification standards. The railroad is incorporating terminal automation to maintain air quality and support truck drivers.