On average the speeds are below 45 mph on majority of all freight lines, exceptions are lines already having passenger traffic.my best guestimate is 90% of all tracks are 45 mph or lower, .
Add to that that todays freight carriers are more fuel sensitive than in a hurry .
Thats not true at all. Most signaled frieght lines on the East coast are 50mph, Intermoadal can run 60mph. Certain types cars like bulkhead flats and individual hoppers are resticeted to 45mph. Curves and small towns are what drops the speeds down.
LOL, Small towns lowering speeds? The Crescent does most of its 80mph running through small towns. NS has taken up a new policy of "speed deters people from running through crossings", so they are ramping up speeds through towns. Also the Crescent's route like many others are straightest in the towns, simply because the towns are in the flat areas, and were built around the railroad which put its facilities on flat level ground where yards and stations could be built.
As for track class its up to the freight railroad as to what class their track is rated as. In other words if NS wants to say the Crescent's route is Class 9 for 200mph passenger operations it can, but everywhere there is a violation of that standard a slow order must be issued to meet the standard the track is currently in. That's why slow orders exist, anywhere you have a defect the railroad must operate trains over that defect at the speed that would be allowed for the track class that would accept that defect.
NS's max speeds per a signal maintainer at Tuscaloosa are:
Local freights that stop to pick up/drop off cars and do yard shunting is 50mph.
Mixed/Manifest Frieghts are allowed 55mph.
Unit trains, i.e. coal trains are allowed 60mph.
Unit trains equipped with ECP brakes are allowed 70mph.
Double Stacks/Piggybacks/Autoracks are allowed 70mph.
Amtrak is allowed 79mph.
NS executive train/FRA train is allowed 79mph if being run with the heritage carbody/cowl diesels, 70mph with freight engines.
RBB circus train 70mph.
Hi rail trucks 79mph at crew's discretion, he said going over 55-60mph will make the trucks bounce and sway to the point you think they are going to de-rail.
He also said the Crescent route is declared by NS to be FRA Class 5 but is maintained to a minimum of Class 4. Generally the first few months after major track work it is class 5 after about a year it has generally deteriorated to class 4 and slow orders are issued to Class 4 standards. He said as of right now there are places between Birmingham and Tuscaloosa that have deteriorated to class 3 and Amtrak is being slow ordered to 60mph in those areas until track work wraps up in mid February.
