Howard Street Tunnel plan
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bs-md-howard-street-tunnel-20171101-story.html
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
yep why expand Howard street tunnel when Amtrak may build the 4 B&P replacement tunnel bores meeting all clearance requirements ? As well the various problems of Howard street leaking water into tunnel probably cannot be mitigated with out shutting the tunnel down for long periods of time.
(The local political entities never have conceeded their culpability in contributing to the derailment with what was more than just a leaky waterline)
Kinda sounds like a beancounter decision from EHH's narrow minded little world trumped engineering judgement. That oughta haunt CSX well beyond just the loss of operating flexibility. Time will tell.
From the article (and straight out of left field) :In a statement, CSX attributed the decision to “Precision Scheduled Railroading,”
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2017/11/02-csx-intermodal-cuts
If Sanborn's looks could kill!!!!!
Sanborn is looking at him like are you braindead already or she's going well when I am gone and CSX is totally screwed up beyond hell and gone maybe you will be exposed for the fraud you really are. Not wanting to add clearance for D/S containers on the only port that we can not haul them out of on the East Coast. Then closing almost all our yards and then wanting to sell off everything that has value in the company. Sure that will allow us to keep the high dollar IM customers that provide our profits IDIOT.
She is thinking in the back of her head this man is out of touch with what US railroading requires and needs to be removed. Anyway we can get the BOD to force a mental compatance exam on him.
Foregoing the Howard Street Tunnel project virtually kills the Port of Baltimore as a container terminal. No double stacks out of the port makes Baltimore a high cost container operation - all this after the port has dredged it's channels and terminal berths for Post-Panamax container vessels and equipped Dundalk Marine Terminal with the container cranes necessary to handle those vessels.
BaltACD Foregoing the Howard Street Tunnel project virtually kills the Port of Baltimore as a container terminal. No double stacks out of the port makes Baltimore a high cost container operation - all this after the port has dredged it's channels and terminal berths for Post-Panamax container vessels and equipped Dundalk Marine Terminal with the container cranes necessary to handle those vessels.
Potential breach of contract lawsuit?
Modeling the Cleveland and Pittsburgh during the PennCentral era starting on the Cleveland lakefront and ending in Mingo junction
Maryland Congressional delegation want answers!
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-ci-howard-street-tunnel-congress-20171102-story.html
I want to get back to ruderunner's question above. Couldn't the State of Maryland sue CSX to get back their investment in this project so far?
If the Port upgrades depended on CSX upgrading the tunnel, I cannot see how CSX can legally walk away from it at this stage. Surely the Port improvements would not have gone forward without a legal agreement for CSX to do their part with the tunnel. The news story needs to explain this detail. If there was no legal agreement, then it seems like it was incredibly risky for the Port improvements to go forward.
Does anyone share with me some veiled concern for Hunter when reading this (from the Maryland Congressional delegation's letter):
Please be prepared to provide ... any other federal issues that are important to CSX such as limiting truck trailer size, federal tax issues and other priority public-private rail improvement projects around the nation.
I am not sure how this works but since this is not a legal demand to appear before Congress will EHH show up?
And, as I mentioned over on the other thread an hour ago, I think EHH has a dim view of the "new & improved" Panama Canal and just doesn't see any need to expend CSX dollars to povide services which compliment it.
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
AgentKid I am not sure how this works but since this is not a legal demand to appear before Congress will EHH show up? And, as I mentioned over on the other thread an hour ago, I think EHH has a dim view of the "new & improved" Panama Canal and just doesn't see any need to expend CSX dollars to povide services which compliment it. Bruce
AgentKidI am not sure how this works but since this is not a legal demand to appear before Congress will EHH show up?
I took it as being more in the sense of an 'open letter' (which its being so promptly published probably bears out) to score points off the obvious party making the decision. I would be much more interested in the letter they send Paul Hilal, and the veiled threats therein, but I doubt we'll see that correspondence. I suspect you would need better-than-usual metaphors to describe the chances of EHH contacting them, let alone showing up for their 'media show'...
And, as I mentioned over on the other thread an hour ago, I think EHH has a dim view of the "new & improved" Panama Canal and just doesn't see any need to expend CSX dollars to provide services which complement it.
I am one of those people who thinks that Baltimore traffic, measured in container-loads or trainloads shipped intermodally via CSX, would be positive for the railroad regardless of where the 'opportunity ports' choose to route their shipments. I have not run the numbers, but I hadn't questioned the gains to be achieved by either inbound or outbound doublestack access, unmolested, all the way to the port facilities. I would like to think that Hunter, or at least Paul Hilal, actually ran an analysis that indicated their best interest was to 'cut and run'; it may also be, less kindly, that this represents an opening shot in a war to get the most concessions out of the state and Federal Maryland delegations to minimize actual CSX dollars and service interference consequences needed for the actual tunnel construction work. Personally I see much more benefit to Baltimore in this project than to CSX in its current downsize-to-match-margins "precision" mode, and it may be that Hunter thinks the various political agencies will be as easy to logroll as the CSX stockholders were over making up the lost bonus money.
Overmodit may also be, less kindly, that this represents an opening shot in a war to get the most concessions out of the state and Federal Maryland delegations to minimize actual CSX dollars and service interference consequences needed for the actual tunnel construction work. Personally I see much more benefit to Baltimore in this project than to CSX in its current downsize-to-match-margins "precision" mode, and it may be that Hunter thinks the various political agencies will be as easy to logroll as the CSX stockholders were over making up the lost bonus money.
I have no quarrel with what you said except to say the above quote seems like a strangely long term play for a short term thinker like EHH. He wouldn't be around to see the final result.
AgentKidthe above quote seems like a strangely long term play for a short term thinker like EHH.
I'm beginning to wonder if he thinks they'll cave and start throwing incentives at him (as you see municipalities doing for Amazon's business right now). Not to pull a Godwin, but I see some similarities to the Austrian paperhanger's early career in playing knotheads worried about economic depression for fools. Those plans worked quickly, well within the expected lifespan with all the medical care and perhaps 'bionics' that Hunter can now afford ... or have his backers pay for.
Does NS have any presence in or near the Port Of Baltimore?
(edit): Never mind. I just saw my answer in the other discussion on this subject.
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"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
Looking at CSX perspective they may be hoping that additional pressure on Amtrak, Maryland, and US government to speed up the B&P tunnel replacement project. Then CSX gets the advantage of just paying trackage fees thru that tunnel on a present basis and does not have to expend capital until Howard street project is complete. As well CSX may know something about Howard tunnel that will increase cost to modify over present figures ?
blue streak 1Looking at CSX perspective they may be hoping that additional pressure on Amtrak, Maryland, and US government to speed up the B&P tunnel replacement project. Then CSX gets the advantage of just paying trackage fees thru that tunnel on a present basis and does not have to expend capital until Howard street project is complete. As well CSX may know something about Howard tunnel that will increase cost to modify over present figures ?
IF CSX would go that route they would be at the MERCY of Amtrak - Amtrak is not merciful of freight carriers. It would be Amtrak track under Amtrak control. Amtrak takes great delight in outlawing freight crews without letting them turn a wheel.
Not to mention that anything Amtrak does to benefit CSX they will also do to benefit NS. Which they may do anyway, without CSX participation.
daveklepperNot to mention that anything Amtrak does to benefit CSX they will also do to benefit NS. Which they may do anyway, without CSX participation.
NS has no 'Westward' route to leave Baltimore, their only route is East to Perryville and up the Port Road to Harrisburg. CSX controls all Westward routes out of Baltimore. It is beyond the pale of no probability that Amtrak would allow NS freights to operated from Baltimore to Washington and through Union Station and its hyper restrictive clearances to reach NS tracks at Arlington using CSX trackage rights from CP Virginia to CP AF. Current Class 1 road power does not clear through the Union Station tunnel.
NS still has trackage rights on NEC thru VA ave tunnel in DC. They exercised them, maybe 10 years ago, running Atlanta to Croxton and return with trailers and containers in well cars. Ex-Conrail GP40-2s did the honors, along with a couple Amtrak P42s.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
oltmanndNS still has trackage rights on NEC thru VA ave tunnel in DC. They exercised them, maybe 10 years ago, running Atlanta to Croxton and return with trailers and containers in well cars. Ex-Conrail GP40-2s did the honors, along with a couple Amtrak P42s.
Having the rights and being able to use them in a time sensitive, effective and economic manner with Amtrak calling the tune will continue to be impossible.
When CSX had their Anacostia Bridge issues in 2006 and had to negotiate with Amtrak to operate their I-95 UPS trains via the Union Station Tunnel and WUT trackage between CP Virginia and CP F Tower - CSX was required to use a specified series of GP40's only as the only power on the train, CSX Management had to be represented ON PROPERTY when the trains were operated as well as Car Department Personnel and a fully stock 'block truck' to rectify any mechanical issues that may happen. The permitted hours of operation were Midnight to 4 AM. Outside of that no special conditions were imposed.
Amtrak's train frequncy, both on the NEC and the I-95 corridor is higher now than it was in 2006.
Cannot believe what EHH is doing to the CSX dispatchers. Any idea what happened ? IT screw up ?
https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2017/11/20/employed-homeless-as-csx-changes-plans-dispatchers.html
Loved the line: leading Harrison to admit he overlooked "the people side of the ledger" when making operational changes. He sure didn't short himself when he got the $84,000,000.00 bonus. What a way to ruin a railroad. Running a railroad is a TEAM effort. Unfortunatly too many upper levels make it into a war and want to beat up on those below them. The troops need managers that support them, provide them with the tools to do their job and the training to do it. Give the men support and they can make you look good. Screw them and they can bring the railroad to the ground. I doubt that EHH will get much loyality from the dispatchers or many others. Let the beatings begin.
blue streak 1Cannot believe what EHH is doing to the CSX dispatchers. Any idea what happened ? IT screw up ? https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2017/11/20/employed-homeless-as-csx-changes-plans-dispatchers.html
In the past - pre EHH - Relocation contracts were negotiated between the company and the ATDA for the protection and organization of the moves. That included the orignal centralization of the 1988-1992 period for one 'side letter', and the decentralization of 2008 for a separate side letter.
There was NO NEGOTIATIONS done and NO PLAN presented to the ATDA or individual dispatchers for the moves to Jacksonville. The Baltimore Office was 'scheduled' to relocate on September 25, 2017. That was delayed a week and then individual desks began relocating the week of October 1. My understanding is that the last desk departed Baltimore on October 20. My understanding is that the Florence Office preceeded Baltimore in the move - I have no idea what was done during the Florence move or when it actually happened.
I visited the Baltimore Office on September 20 knowing the move date had been scheduled for September 25. In conversation with dispatchers that had been through the decentralization move - there was absolutely NO THOUGHT OR PLAN displayed by the company on how the relocation was to take place nor how operations would be maintained during the relocation.
So much for Precision Schedules!
blue streak 1 Cannot believe what EHH is doing to the CSX dispatchers. Any idea what happened ? IT screw up ? https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2017/11/20/employed-homeless-as-csx-changes-plans-dispatchers.html
“EHH” is not doing anything, these dispatchers did it to themselves. The only offices that got an official timeline are the offices that have relocated. The others got a generic “around this time subject to change” date. Those that moved were trying to be slick, and took a gamble. They lost. They have no one to blame but themselves. The truth hurts sometimes.
An "expensive model collector"
n012944 blue streak 1 Cannot believe what EHH is doing to the CSX dispatchers. Any idea what happened ? IT screw up ? https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2017/11/20/employed-homeless-as-csx-changes-plans-dispatchers.html “EHH” is not doing anything, these dispatchers did it to themselves. The only offices that got an official timeline are the offices that have relocated. The others got a generic “around this time subject to change” date. Those that moved were trying to be slick, and took a gamble. They lost. They have no one to blame but themselves. The truth hurts sometimes.
If there is one thing I learned in 51 years - don't try to 'out think' the company on their plans going forward. Plans can, and do, change on a 4:30 PM Friday afternoon meeting. Until official notice is issued the plan is not in motion; even then it can still be changed.
The Chicago Dispatchng office was supposed to go to Jacksonville sometime in the mid 90's. Official notices were made and a firm date was set, Dispatchers involved made domicile plans (selling, buying & moving etc.). Day before the effective date the plan was cancelled - the idea of a centralized Chicago Area Dispatching Office was confirmed among all the carriers servicing Chicago. The CSX Chicago Dispatchers stayed in Chicago (other carriers have been slower in staffing the centrailzed Chicago Office). I am of the belief that CSX in some manner made the affected Dispatchers whole for all the aggrivations they suffered (I could be mistaken).
You can't out think company's - they don't think straight.
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