Triple Crossing (Richmond) – Richmond, Virginie, USA | Train Spotting Location

Triple Crossing in Richmond, Virginia is one of the very few places on Earth—and the only confirmed spot in North America—where three active main-line railroad routes pass over one another at three separate elevations, creating a dramatic, layered spectacle that every serious railfan should witness at least once.

🛤️ The Trainspotting Experience

Upon arrival, railfans typically station themselves along the public sidewalk that parallels the lowest track, a former Seaboard Air Line route now worked by CSX Transportation. From this ground-level vantage you look up at the middle deck, part of Norfolk Southern’s ex-Southern Railway main line, and still farther skyward to the top deck, CSX’s former Chesapeake & Ohio viaduct. Expect a sensory feast: metallic wheel flanges squeal on curves, air horns echo between the brick warehouses of Shockoe Bottom, and the rumble of distributed-power locomotives vibrates through the concrete. Trains move at modest urban speeds—generally 15–25 mph on the bottom, 20–30 mph on the middle, and 25–35 mph on the top—yet the stacking of three trains can make the scene feel intensely dynamic. A meet involving two levels is common; a coveted three-level “triple” happens a few times a week for the patient observer. Train lengths vary from 50-car locals to 10,000-foot intermodals, so bring extra memory cards and be ready for prolonged, multi-minute consists.

🌄 Landscape, Setting and Local Atmosphere

Triple Crossing sits in a low river plain just east of downtown Richmond where the James River’s floodwall hems in a patchwork of historical industrial buildings, sycamore trees, and graffiti-tagged retaining walls. Elevation rises sharply from the riverbank, so the scene feels enclosed—almost amphitheater-like—with iron and masonry forming a layered backdrop. Spring and fall offer the most comfortable weather, with temperatures ranging 55–75 °F and low humidity; winter can be raw and windy, while summer afternoons often bring haze and oppressive heat. Early morning mist or late-day golden light frequently filters through the arches of the upper viaduct, adding a painterly quality to photographs.

🚂 Type and Frequency of Train Activity

On an average weekday, spotters can anticipate roughly 30–38 train movements in a 24-hour cycle:

• CSX Rivanna Subdivision (top level, ex-C&O): 10–12 daily freight trains, primarily mixed manifest and unit coal or grain, plus occasional work extras.
• Norfolk Southern Danville District (middle level): about 12–14 freight trains including intermodal Q-trains, autorack service to/from the Port of Norfolk, and a local switch job in daylight hours.
• CSX Richmond Terminal Subdivision (bottom level, ex-SAL): 6–10 moves, mostly locals serving nearby industries, plus a daily north–south mixed freight.

Amtrak’s passenger services bypass Triple Crossing, using the RF&P line west of downtown, so nearly all activity here is freight.

📸 Best Angles for Photos and What Railfans Enjoy Most

The canonical shot is from the southwest corner of the crossing, looking northeast; this angle stacks the three lines in a tight vertical frame, with downtown’s skyline peeking above the viaduct railing. Morning light strikes locomotive noses here from the right, while late afternoon backlights the upper deck but bathes the lower two tiers in warm sidelight—ideal for catching rolling stock detail. For a broader panorama, head 120 yards east toward the Canal Walk trailhead: a slight elevation gain lets you capture all three bridges with the James River floodwall curving beneath. Telephotos around 200 mm compress the layers, whereas a 24–35 mm wide angle exaggerates the height separation. Night photography is rewarding too; LED ditch lights carve luminous streaks against the dark girders, and long exposures pick up city glow reflecting off the river.

🕰️ Historical or Cultural Relevance

The first layer—the Seaboard Air Line’s Richmond Main Street branch—opened in 1895. Norfolk & Western (now Norfolk Southern) added the middle trestle in 1900 to funnel coal trains from western Virginia to Hampton Roads. The crowning C&O viaduct was completed in 1901, engineered to lift heavy Allegheny coal drags over the urban maze without clogging street crossings below. Richmond’s identity as a rail gateway grew around this triple-deck marvel; wartime troop movements, east-coast coal export, and industrial resurgence in the mid-20th century all thundered over these same timbers and girders. A nearby historical marker installed by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources recounts the site’s engineering significance.

🧭 What Makes This Spot Different from Others

While many junctions boast heavy traffic, Triple Crossing offers vertical choreography unmatched elsewhere. Standing mere feet from the lowest rail, you might watch a CSX local crawl under a speeding NS stack train while, overhead, a unit coal train rattles across the tallest span—three distinct railroads, three eras of bridge design, one compact vista. The layering compresses 130 years of railroad evolution into a single glance, a living cross-section of American railroading impossible to replicate at flat junctions or grade crossings.

📚 Additional Resources

Richmond Railroad Museum
Virginia Department of Historic Resources – Triple Crossing Marker
RailPictures.net – Triple Crossing Photo Archive