MP173 Somewhat unrelated but the truckload market is extremely stressed right now. With the implementation of electronic logs, the demand/supply has completely tipped to truckers. Talked to one of my customers (regional truckload) and they are bumping rates 25% - 35% with no resistance from shippers. This is creating a golden opportunity for intermodal...if the lanes are in place. NS's loadings are generally down but intermodal is experiencing an uptick. This might continue to grow. There simply are not enough truck drivers out there now. The 550 - 700 mile market has changed dramatically as that cannot be handled "overnight" and is now a 2 day delivery...thus bumping rates signifcantly. ed
Somewhat unrelated but the truckload market is extremely stressed right now. With the implementation of electronic logs, the demand/supply has completely tipped to truckers.
Talked to one of my customers (regional truckload) and they are bumping rates 25% - 35% with no resistance from shippers. This is creating a golden opportunity for intermodal...if the lanes are in place.
NS's loadings are generally down but intermodal is experiencing an uptick. This might continue to grow. There simply are not enough truck drivers out there now.
The 550 - 700 mile market has changed dramatically as that cannot be handled "overnight" and is now a 2 day delivery...thus bumping rates signifcantly.
ed
The good news for NS is the "Premeir Corridor" (ex-Conrail part) seems relatively unharmed by the near melt-down in the south. It's the strongest part of the NS's intermodal franchise. The Atlanta to NJ lane seems in pretty good shape, too. The trouble is Atlanta to the west.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
Eastrail11This was probably due to Amtrak not getting priority,
Absolutely not. NS moves the Crescent with top priority. When you have sidings plugged with expired trains, all you can do is fleet trains in a giant conga line. This is what's been happening. A couple weeks ago, there were trains nose to tail in both directions from beyond Austell all the way to Atlanta.
You can't pass cars on a two lane road when both directions are in a traffic jam.
blue streak 1 Have no idea if the problems caused this. Crescent #20 lost 6 hours New Orleans - Atlanta
Have no idea if the problems caused this. Crescent #20 lost 6 hours New Orleans - Atlanta
Most likely. Sidings between Bham and Atlanta have been used to stage trains and hold cars. The RR isn't completely plugged, but is moving very slowly.
Eastrail11This was probably due to Amtrak not getting priority, that is how some other trains like the SouthWest chief to Chicago is currently 4 hours and 50 minutes late, most likely not Amtrak fault. Also the Empire Builder is just over 4 hours late to Chicago. Lets not talk about Via's Canadian, 21 hours late... Back to NS, I hope they do not fall into the hand of another railroad because that might lead to higher prices. Having a BNSF yard in Florida might be intersting though, FEC intermodal to the West coast might lead to more trains in South Florida, which means more trains for us to railfan! Also would not mind some more CSX trains. More trains is always good, well, unless you try to beat them. Please excuess al typos.
Rail traffic is what it is - line mergers don't change the available traffic base, they only change the routing of how that traffic is handled. Mergers normally lead to fewer trains, not more.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
This was probably due to Amtrak not getting priority, that is how some other trains like the SouthWest chief to Chicago is currently 4 hours and 50 minutes late, most likely not Amtrak fault. Also the Empire Builder is just over 4 hours late to Chicago. Lets not talk about Via's Canadian, 21 hours late... Back to NS, I hope they do not fall into the hand of another railroad because that might lead to higher prices. Having a BNSF yard in Florida might be intersting though, FEC intermodal to the West coast might lead to more trains in South Florida, which means more trains for us to railfan! Also would not mind some more CSX trains. More trains is always good, well, unless you try to beat them. Please excuess al typos.
~Eastrail
Paul of Covington Could it be that NS is swamped by increased traffic? Refugees from CSX?
Could it be that NS is swamped by increased traffic? Refugees from CSX?
Overall, NS' traffic year to date is flat compared to 2017 (-524 units as of 2/10/2018). Intermodal is up 5.7% (25,500 units) while coal is down 11.1% (-13,268 carloads) and merchandise traffic is down 4.5% (-12,756 carloads).
Usually when merchandise traffic drops off it frees up capacity at classification yards and dwell time decreases. Yet, we are seeing the exact opposite response in the terminal dwell stats. That is a bit of a head scratcher.
BaltACDNS troubles are self inflicted.
Yep. "the drive to 65" is now progresing to the ditch.
LithoniaOperator oltmannd, are those idle trains in sidings sitting there with the power still attached?
oltmannd, are those idle trains in sidings sitting there with the power still attached?
Mostly.
Mookie So NS numbers don't improve. Who blinks first? Who steps in and makes the first move. Stockholders? BOD? Do they replace management and hope for the best? Where does it go from here?
So NS numbers don't improve. Who blinks first? Who steps in and makes the first move. Stockholders? BOD? Do they replace management and hope for the best? Where does it go from here?
Customers will complain to NS about declining service levels. If NS does not get out ahead of this thing, then the shippers will ask the STB to get involved. In short, CSX last summer all over again.
Given all of the financial improvements Jim Squires and his team have made at NS over the past couple of years, plus the successful thwarting of the CP takeover by Hunter Harrison, NS' management is quite safe for the forseeable future. The operating stats might look bad, but the financials are good.
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
Sure, have BNSF buy out NS, and make all equipment orange.
After all, Orange is the new black....
And then UP can buy CN, and CP can own CSX.
Paint them all yellow, and red, respectively.
Then, merge them all and call them the Fruit Loop Railway!
It would be perfect!
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
Here in NW Indiana (ex Conrail) line the intermodals are running pretty true to schedule but there is a slowdown overall. Not sure what is going on other than we had big snow - 9 straight days and are on the outside of the Chicago mess. The manifest trains seem to be running a little later than normal. There is some work going west of Burns Harbor which seems to be slowing the westbounds to a crawl.
Interestingly, the eastbound afternoon intermodal trailer train 20K the past couple of days has been loaded with UPS containers/trailers. Typically this train features refer trailers and will run 50-75 units with only a couple of UPS units. Sunday it had 37 UPS and Monday had 27 UPS. Never seen that before.
So, either the weather has moved units from the highways to rails, or CSX has dropped the ball on their Q010, or UPS has a new ops plan in place.
Ed
Mookie BaltACD Rough times are one thing. Self mutiliation is something else. NS troubles are self inflicted. Care to expand on this a little? I would consider it another teaching moment for me.
BaltACD Rough times are one thing. Self mutiliation is something else. NS troubles are self inflicted.
Care to expand on this a little? I would consider it another teaching moment for me.
I believe Balt is referring to NS' aggressive cost cutting moves, including shutting down the hump yard in Chattanooga, TN last year. Yard dwell stats on the southern end of the railroad have never really recovered after that move (as has been pointed out by oltmannd for months). Now the disease seems to have metastasized to other parts of the system.
In my part of the NS world on the former Wabash, trains have been running very long and very late since last November. A number of questionable operational changes have been made that really are gumming things up. You know something is wrong when the train dispatcher is talking about recrewing a train that hasn't even made it 50 miles from its inital terminal. Part of the problem seems to be related to having road crews building 8,000 to10,000 foot long trains at Decatur, IL, then having them switch out bad order cars before they can depart. This process eats up tons of time.
I also have to wonder if all of the Dash 9's and SD70's being taken out of service for DC2AC conversions is causing problems. NS did recently lease some ex-BNSF SD70MAC's to cover the shortfall for the SD70ACC conversions.
Lastly, one can only wonder what moving all the train dispatchers to Atlanta will do to the railroad, especially if the attrition rate is high. The loss of institutional knowledge could be staggering.
BOB WITHORNIt would go pretty much everywhere.
That has always been my reasoning. BNSF is lacking in the east and there is no reason they shouldn't have a chunk of that, also. I know - past mergers were a nightmare, but BNSF is a well run railroad and should be able to figure out something.
Murphy Siding ........................ My elderly bosses didn't like the change to BNSF. "Bin-siff? What the hell's a Bin-siff?" Maybe they just didn't like change as they had always referred to it as The Great Northern. I am assuming the ole timers you speak of were fond of Green and would NOT one bit have liked the phrase Better and Newer Santa Fe endmrw0213180459bc
........................ My elderly bosses didn't like the change to BNSF. "Bin-siff? What the hell's a Bin-siff?" Maybe they just didn't like change as they had always referred to it as The Great Northern.
BaltACDRough times are one thing. Self mutiliation is something else. NS troubles are self inflicted.
Deggesty Convicted One Mookie Keep the black/white accent/horse and BNSFNS tucked in there somewhere. How about "Norfolk and Western"? Norfolk and Everywhere West.
Convicted One Mookie Keep the black/white accent/horse and BNSFNS tucked in there somewhere. How about "Norfolk and Western"?
Mookie Keep the black/white accent/horse and BNSFNS tucked in there somewhere.
How about "Norfolk and Western"?
Norfolk and Everywhere West.
Reporting Mark - NEW
Johnny
Convicted OneHow about "Norfolk and Western"?
I'll vote for that. Especially if they bring back all steam.
_____________
"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
Murphy Siding "Bin-siff? What the hell's a Bin-siff?"
Nope, I pronounce it "Bun-suff".
Northern Santa & Southern. That'll keep 'em guessing. Expect a train at any time- from any direction.My elderly bosses didn't like the change to BNSF. "Bin-siff? What the hell's a Bin-siff?" Maybe they just didn't like change as they had always referred to it as The Great Northern.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
We need something that doesn't sound like all the old, no longer railroads.
BNSF & Son?
Burlington Southern
Bring back the green!!!
MookieKeep the black/white accent/horse and BNSFNS tucked in there somewhere.
Still in training.
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