▁trains ▁desc ended ▁nearly ▁ ▁in ▁elev ation ▁to ▁Richmond ▁following ▁the ▁path ▁of ▁the ▁river . ▁The ▁addition ▁of ▁the ▁" James ▁River ▁Line " ▁allowed ▁the ▁C & O ▁to ▁avoid ▁the ▁heav ier ▁gr ades ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁Virginia ▁Central ' s ▁line ▁to ▁the ▁north ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁principal ▁ar tery ▁of ▁east bound ▁coal ▁transport ation ▁down ▁to ▁the ▁present ▁day , ▁with ▁the ▁earlier ▁Virginia ▁Central ▁line ▁used ▁for ▁west bound ▁empty ▁ho ppers . ▁From ▁the ▁convergence ▁of ▁the ▁lines ▁in ▁Richmond , ▁both ▁east bound ▁and ▁west bound ▁coal ▁trains ▁util ized ▁the ▁Pen ins ula ▁Sub div ision ▁through ▁Williams burg ▁to ▁service ▁the ▁coal ▁pi ers ▁in ▁the ▁East ▁End ▁of ▁New port ▁News . ▁ ▁Modern ▁times ▁and ▁other ▁uses ▁After ▁the ▁Ch es ape ake ▁and ▁Ohio ▁was ▁cons olid ated ▁with ▁several ▁other ▁large ▁rail ro ads ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁to ▁form ▁CS X ▁Transport ation , ▁the ▁line ▁built ▁by ▁the ▁Virginia ▁Central ▁from ▁Sta un ton ▁to ▁Cl if ton ▁for ge ▁was ▁considered ▁for ▁abandon ment . ▁ ▁CS X , ▁however , ▁decided ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁line ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁route ▁empty ▁coal ▁trains ▁west ward , ▁which , ▁although ▁intended ▁for ▁times ▁of ▁excess ▁traffic , ▁has ▁become ▁common ▁practice . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁CS X , ▁port ions ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁Virginia ▁Central ▁line ▁are ▁in ▁use ▁by ▁Am tra k ' s ▁Card inal ▁from ▁G ord