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Short term financial woes for rail.

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Posted by MidlandMike on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 8:19 PM

South Korea ramped up testing quickly to identify carriers, and then really followed up on tracking those who they came in contact with to stop the spread.  They did not need the harsher steps of the Chinese, and did not have the bigger economic shut downs of the west.

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 9:57 AM

Point is restrictions worked.  And let's see your documentation for welding doors shut. 

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Posted by CMStPnP on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 8:43 AM

charlie hebdo
China has almost no new cases. The local/provincial government screwed up badly in the critical first weeks, but then the central government took charge. Relatively few cases or deaths out of the totals occured outside Wuhan and Hubei province.

Thats because their quarantine procedures involved welding the doors shut of buildings under quarantine.    Something tells me that would not go over well in this country.    Also, I would not rely on their stats since they are typically always suspect without verification from outside.........which so far is prohibited.

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 11:23 AM

Dining car: Those actions were taken only after the Trump group expelled Chinese media people.  It was an unfortunate reaction to more anti-China hysteria being stirred up to try to distract attention from the slow response to the crisis here. 

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Posted by PJS1 on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 10:41 AM

CMStPnP
 In my view, this is all going to be a flash in the pan and the crisis largely over by Summer or Fall at the latest.   Stock Market will fully recover and so will the rails.  One to Two quarter financial hit thought it looks like.   I have a neighborhood app I log into that I can speak online with my neighbors with.    All of them are way far down the road of panic and some are not being rational about this.    I think the whole society is in that state right now. 

I am in a similar situation.  I live in a retirement community.  Panic has swept through the community like a firestorm.  
 
COVID-19 is a serious issue.  But the folks in this community, many of whom are college graduates, are overreacting.  They are hording everything they can get their hands on.  Rationale thinking went out the door weeks ago. 
 
It makes me wonder what would happen if North Korea or another adversary hit the United States with a couple of nuclear weapons, which would be a real crisis. 

Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 9:16 AM

diningcar

"China has almost no new cases. The local/provincial government screwed up badly in the critical first weeks, but then the central government took charge. Relatively few cases or deaths out of the totals occured outside Wuhan and Hubei province."

China has just expelled several US journalists. Will they tell a different story? I suggest it is not as well in China as their controlling government would have the world believe.

 

There also appears to be hints that all is not well in Russia either ?

Officially From Russia 147 cases with 6 recoveries no deaths.  Any bets ???

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Posted by diningcar on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 9:06 AM

"China has almost no new cases. The local/provincial government screwed up badly in the critical first weeks, but then the central government took charge. Relatively few cases or deaths out of the totals occured outside Wuhan and Hubei province."

China has just expelled several US journalists. Will they tell a different story? I suggest it is not as well in China as their controlling government would have the world believe.

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Monday, March 16, 2020 1:44 PM

China has almost no new cases. The local/provincial government screwed up badly in the critical first weeks, but then the central government took charge. Relatively few cases or deaths out of the totals occured outside Wuhan and Hubei province.

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, March 16, 2020 4:19 AM

The USA, Canada, the UK. Australia, New Zeakand, South Korea, Kazistan, Taiwan, and Israel are all going to pull through pretty much OK.  Because we are all self-reliant people, who still are allowed mostly to think for ourselves and not required to do things completely irrational because some higher political or religious authority has ordered us to do so.  Much of the rest of the world, especially China and Iran, seem to be to be sufferieng comopletely because the opposite seems to be the case, Or, in fhe name of political correctness and diversity they allow such to be both the most vocal part of their population and limit the abilities of sensible people to cope.

I think the USA will make a quick rebound, and the truly free counties will help each other to do so, and if I were an investor, this would be a time for me to buy, not sell, stock.

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, March 15, 2020 11:33 AM

No.  We're better than that.  We're stronger than that.  Except for the 30% among us who aren't happy unless they're terrified of something,  and you can't do anything with those people anyway.  

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Saturday, March 14, 2020 12:12 PM

I believe that almost any union contracts may be temporality suspended by actions ofour President.  Do not put anything past him !  The need to flatten out the number of persons sick at one  time is going to trump anything that is normal .  Check out the PBS 1 hour about the 1918 flu epidemic.

If we ( the US ) are not careful law and order may break down ?

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Posted by zugmann on Saturday, March 14, 2020 9:23 AM

BaltACD
How much more can you automate DEAD?

We have hydraulics. 

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

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Posted by BaltACD on Saturday, March 14, 2020 9:23 AM

zugmann
 
BaltACD
The ultimate PSR - the corpse of EHH, dead finger on the money button as the only 'employee' of CSX - doing all the work and remaining motionless. 

Nah, he'd automate that button.

How much more can you automate DEAD?

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by zugmann on Saturday, March 14, 2020 9:19 AM

BaltACD
The ultimate PSR - the corpse of EHH, dead finger on the money button as the only 'employee' of CSX - doing all the work and remaining motionless.

Nah, he'd automate that button.

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

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Posted by BaltACD on Saturday, March 14, 2020 9:10 AM

zugmann
 
BaltACD
Ah!  We should have the ultimate in job sharing.  One employee that does it all for each corporation.  Produce the products of the company by magic and the 'employee' just presses the button to keep the money machine flowing money into his (or her) pocket. [/sarcasm] 

Have you met my friend, Mr. PSR?  Conductor, clerk, car inspector, timekeeper, and yardmaster all in one!  

The ultimate PSR - the corpse of EHH, dead finger on the money button as the only 'employee' of CSX - doing all the work and remaining motionless.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Saturday, March 14, 2020 8:57 AM

blue streak 1

It might be best if Amtrak would let persons share jobs.  That could be for agents and OBS.  However it might be time for sidelined cars to get very deep cleanings and upgrades.  Time for maintenance to repair cars not needed for service.  Maybe some agents and others not presently needed could go over to help maintenance take care of minor items needed to spiff up the rail cars.

The freight RRs should go for job share for T&E and maybe other positions ?

 

Are you living in some Disney Fantasyland? 

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Posted by zugmann on Saturday, March 14, 2020 8:48 AM

BaltACD
Ah!  We should have the ultimate in job sharing.  One employee that does it all for each corporation.  Produce the products of the company by magic and the 'employee' just presses the button to keep the money machine flowing money into his (or her) pocket. [/sarcasm]

Have you met my friend, Mr. PSR?  Conductor, clerk, car inspector, timekeeper, and yardmaster all in one!  

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

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Posted by BaltACD on Saturday, March 14, 2020 8:44 AM

blue streak 1
It might be best if Amtrak would let persons share jobs.  That could be for agents and OBS.  However it might be time for sidelined cars to get very deep cleanings and upgrades.  Time for maintenance to repair cars not needed for service.  Maybe some agents and others not presently needed could go over to help maintenance take care of minor items needed to spiff up the rail cars.

The freight RRs should go for job share for T&E and maybe other positions ?

Ah!  We should have the ultimate in job sharing.  One employee that does it all for each corporation.  Produce the products of the company by magic and the 'employee' just presses the button to keep the money machine flowing money into his (or her) pocket. [/sarcasm]

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Friday, March 13, 2020 9:59 AM

Highly unlikely due to various contract restrictions.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by CMStPnP on Thursday, March 12, 2020 6:58 PM

In my view, this is all going to be a flash in the pan and the crisis largely over by Summer or Fall at the latest.   Stock Market will fully recover and so will the rails.  One to Two quarter financial hit thought it looks like.   I have a neighborhood app I log into that I can speak online with my neighbors with.    All of them are way far down the road of panic and some are not being rational about this.    I think the whole society is in that state right now.

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Thursday, March 12, 2020 6:24 PM

It might be best if Amtrak would let persons share jobs.  That could be for agents and OBS.  However it might be time for sidelined cars to get very deep cleanings and upgrades.  Time for maintenance to repair cars not needed for service.  Maybe some agents and others not presently needed could go over to help maintenance take care of minor items needed to spiff up the rail cars.

The freight RRs should go for job share for T&E and maybe other positions ?

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Short term financial woes for rail.
Posted by blue streak 1 on Wednesday, March 11, 2020 11:21 PM

What is going to happen to rail transportation in the short term ?.  With Amtrak having a 50% reduction in future bookings how is it going to handle the finances ?  Will it start cancelling many trains on some multi train routes ?  That would seem prudent.  LD routes cut or at least 2 or 3 day a week trips would be a harsh reality.  Trying to get host RRs to reduce payments might be difficult.

It is not going to be easy for anyone laid off to find another job.

Freight RRs must be also hurting as well.  Here in my neck of the woods CSX PSR trains have a very noticible shorter consist length.  One IM train today was about 40 wells running DPU 1x1.  First one I had seen with loco on rear.  LAX IM reported down quite a bit. 

Suspect freight RRs running fewer trains as almost all Amtrak trains are running very close to on schedule.  The few not running is for the usual feight train interferrence, mechanicl, etc.  The one exception is still the Crescent south of CLT on NS.  The only black train this evening was #19 south of Meredian.  There were many green trains system wide.  The red ones were only 1:35 late or less.

With all these problems will congress come to the rescue of Amtrak or will it allow Amtrak to loose a?

  

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