One week from Monday, fireworks are scheduled to fly over downtown Lexington. The launch site sits adjacent to an area readying for significant infrastructure improvements.
Once again, land owned by the R.J. Corman Railroad company will be the spot where fuses of pyrotechnics will be lit. The Lexington railyard will see improvements as part of a $12 million project, more than half of it supported with a federal grant. Company President Ed Quinn said it’s a commerce initiative.
“So that will help with some of the fluidity here in Lexington and allow for more industries to bring material in without having to have rail access,” said Quinn.
The work between Frankfort and Lexington includes switch replacements, rehabilitated crossings and track, expanded transload storage pads, and paving of truck and traffic areas. A substantial amount of the project involves improvements in Frankfort.
Quinn noted adding commuter passenger service is not in the cards for a town the size of Lexington.
“Yeah, I think that’s right and it’s an adoption issue in a lot of cities. You’re starting to see more of what Nashville has in a commuter line that’s small, 30 miles or so, when you see high growth like Nashville has,” said Quinn
Quinn said R.J. Corman operates the commuter train east out of Nashville to Lebanon. The railroad executive added the central Kentucky transportation firm also runs a dinner train out of Bardstown.