While your managers are doing that and pounding themselves on the back here is what your customers are doing. Hello Mr trucking company excutive I need reliable service to an from this location on this schedule what will it cost me. OTR company about 2.50 a mile per load. Your customer goes who do I send this contract to so it can be signed and get away from the railroads. When your customer service department can not even give a day that the car will arrive only a week it gets frustrating for a customer. My boss is no longer told which 2 day window his cars will arrive on it is which week in the month we may get them from the BNSF. NS is getting just as bad. He is thinking about closing his SIT yard and buying the trailers and trucks needed to haul it ourselves.
Would it be at all possible to create a Swiss watch, by the minute, culture in US railroading? Might that provide a true competitive edge?
GrampWould it be at all possible to create a Swiss watch, by the minute, culture in US railroading? Might that provide a true competitive edge?
It's been tried, and/or done. It takes a lot of coordination.
The New York Central had "Operation Sunset" wherein making scheduled connections was a key. Of course, that was in the days of loose-car railroading.
As I recall, railroads have tried getting trains out at a specific time, regardless of what's on the drawbar. This does little to help efficiency, however, as a car that's too late to make the departure either leaves on the next train (if there is one) or the next day. Which is of little consolation to the customer who's expecting his/her car at a certain time.
Short, frequent trains can help, but now you're talking more crews and locomotives. You can see the practice at work at the Mierlo-Hout webcam - rarely do you have to wait more than a few minutes for another train to pass.
If you watch US railcams, you can go hours without seeing a train. And when one does pass, it may be a 12,000 footer...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
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