The Triple Crossing

Where three separate rail lines cross each other at exactly the same point — one of only a handful of triple rail crossings in the world. The three lines pass at three different elevations within a short distance of each other, and trains on all three can sometimes be seen simultaneously from the right vantage point. It is a piece of industrial infrastructure that has achieved minor landmark status among rail enthusiasts and is genuinely interesting to anyone who finds the history of American railroads compelling.

The crossing is visible from the Shockoe Bottom area and from the Canal Walk. Not a destination in its own right but a worthwhile addition to a walk through the area.

things to do sight
A story
The three railroads — the CSX (former Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac), the Norfolk Southern (former Southern Railway), and the CSX River Line — were built by competing companies at different periods. The layered crossing is a consequence of the city's role as a major rail hub in the 19th century, when different railroads entered the city at different grades and in different directions and had to negotiate their way past each other.

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