Cumberland Valley Subdivision
Encyclopedia
The Cumberland Valley Subdivision (also CV Subdivision) is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation
in the U.S. state
s of Kentucky
and Virginia
. The line runs from Corbin, Kentucky
east to Big Stone Gap, Virginia
along a former Louisville and Nashville Railroad
line.
At its west end, the CC Subdivision heads north to Cincinnati, Ohio
and the KD Subdivision heads south to Etowah, Tennessee
. The east end is at an interchange
with the Norfolk Southern Railway
Appalachia District, where CSX trains can proceed south to the Kingsport Subdivision
at Frisco, Tennessee via trackage rights
.
The original L&N line crossed the Cumberland Mountains
at Cumberland Gap
. The main line was moved east to use the Hagans Tunnel around 1930.
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
s of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. The line runs from Corbin, Kentucky
Corbin, Kentucky
- Economy :Originally formed by L&N Railroad, rail transport was the backbone of the local economy in the first half of the twentieth century. While the railroad continues to play an important role, the decline of the rail industry in the latter half of the twentieth century, as well as the loss...
east to Big Stone Gap, Virginia
Big Stone Gap, Virginia
Big Stone Gap is a town in Wise County, Virginia, United States. The population was 5,643 at the 2010 census.-History:The community was formerly known as "Meneral City" and "Three Forks." The "Big Stone Gap" refers to the valley which has been created on the Appalachia Straight, located between...
along a former Louisville and Nashville Railroad
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.Chartered by the state of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N, as it was generally known, grew into one of the great success stories of American business...
line.
At its west end, the CC Subdivision heads north to Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and the KD Subdivision heads south to Etowah, Tennessee
Etowah, Tennessee
Etowah is a city in McMinn County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 3,663 at the 2000 census.-History:Etowah was founded in 1906, primarily as a location for a depot on the Louisville & Nashville Railroad line as part of a more direct route between Atlanta, Georgia and Cincinnati, Ohio...
. The east end is at an interchange
Interchange (freight rail)
In freight rail transport, interchange is the practice of railroads conveying freight cars from other companies over their lines...
with the Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
Appalachia District, where CSX trains can proceed south to the Kingsport Subdivision
Kingsport Subdivision
The Kingsport Subdivision is a 133.2-mile railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee...
at Frisco, Tennessee via trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
.
The original L&N line crossed the Cumberland Mountains
Cumberland Mountains
The Cumberland Mountains are a mountain range in the southeastern section of the Appalachian Mountains. They are located in southern West Virginia, western Virginia, eastern edges of Kentucky, and eastern middle Tennessee, including the Crab Orchard Mountains...
at Cumberland Gap
Cumberland Gap
Cumberland Gap is a pass through the Cumberland Mountains region of the Appalachian Mountains, also known as the Cumberland Water Gap, at the juncture of the U.S. states of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia...
. The main line was moved east to use the Hagans Tunnel around 1930.