$700Million for CSX Relocation in doubt

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CSSHEGEWISCH

QUOTE: Originally posted by futuremodal

$700 million? That'd pay for a nice rail link between the DM&E and MRL. Add a little more and MRL can be extended west to a logical West Coast port,

And how much is a little more to get from Spokane to tidewater? At any rate, if DM&E is having plenty of trouble in getting $2.5 billion loaned to them to get to the Powder River Basin, what makes you think that connecting with MRL would be any cheaper or easier, let alone build a West Coast extension from Spokane?

DM&E isn't having trouble getting the money approved, they're having trouble getting the NIMBY's off their back so they can get started ASAP. There is no reason to believe that MRL couldn't get a similar loan to build into Montana's PRB (and in the process connect to DM&E). And luckily, there's no high falutin clinic between Rapid City and Billings to stall that idea.

Spokane to tidewater, say Tacoma, for the most part woud involve relaying the PCE and connecting to Tacoma's city owned rail line. The State of Washington is already involved in rail ownership and maintenance responsibility, and the State does own most of the PCE corridor.

[beefmalone]

I don't think the whole thing is a very good idea, but some of you are getting a little too "holier than thou" when it comes to pork projects. Everyone ***es about what goes on in other states, but those same people get awful quiet when their state is getting a few mil for a bean museum or some other crap.

The logical relocation for the traffice would be over the MS Export RR then the IC line to hattiesburg then down the NS line to N.O. Why they'd want to run all the way up to Meridian I have no idea. Plenty of less-used trackage that would be perfect for an upgrade.

Personally, I wi***he casinos would float away, but they're here now to stay. The Gulf Coast is gone so now we'll end up with lots of "development." The reason CSX isn't objecting is because they have nothing to lose. There aren't any major industries along the way so they end up with $700mil+ in benefits with very little cost to them.

[solzrules]

QUOTE: Originally posted by beefmalone

I don't think the whole thing is a very good idea, but some of you are getting a little too "holier than thou" when it comes to pork projects. Everyone ***es about what goes on in other states, but those same people get awful quiet when their state is getting a few mil for a bean museum or some other crap.

The logical relocation for the traffice would be over the MS Export RR then the IC line to hattiesburg then down the NS line to N.O. Why they'd want to run all the way up to Meridian I have no idea. Plenty of less-used trackage that would be perfect for an upgrade.

Personally, I wi***he casinos would float away, but they're here now to stay. The Gulf Coast is gone so now we'll end up with lots of "development." The reason CSX isn't objecting is because they have nothing to lose. There aren't any major industries along the way so they end up with $700mil+ in benefits with very little cost to them.

Rest assured I reject pork barrel spending anywhere, be it my state or somewhere else. Let me keep my tax dollars and I will throw it into my own pork barrel project. I've always wanted a solid gold toilet. Maybe with this little expense I would be able to get it. Anyone want to support my toilet fund?

[Murphy Siding]

QUOTE: Originally posted by futuremodal

DM&E isn't having trouble getting the money approved

Yes Dave, DM&E IS having trouble getting the money. They couldn't get it in the open market. Now they have federal guarantees, and yet, no one seems to be knocking down their doors with a bucket of cash. The Rochester group is latching onto this financing "glitch"(?) as the DM&E's achilles heel.

[solzrules]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Murphy Siding

QUOTE: Originally posted by futuremodal

DM&E isn't having trouble getting the money approved

Yes Dave, DM&E IS having trouble getting the money. They couldn't get it in the open market. Now they have federal guarantees, and yet, no one seems to be knocking down their doors with a bucket of cash. The Rochester group is latching onto this financing "glitch"(?) as the DM&E's achilles heel.

How do you know that? Seems to me that the Rochester coalition in their zeal to run the world were demanding that the DME open the books to them so they could see who's investing. The DME responded that was not how they ran their business. Why doesn't the Mayo clinic open THEIR books and see where all these federal subsidies are going to? The fact is that no one knows who has invested in this or who isn't. The obvious characters like the power plants have been slow to sign on, but that may be for political/legal reasons. The fact that all kinds of ag business organizations as well as several state governments are 100 percent behind this as an opportunity to reign in the BNSF should tell you that someone out there must be willing to throw some money at the PRB expansion.

[Anonymous]

Caught this from the Mobile paper. More ideas on how CSX should spend the $700 Million it doesn't have yet...

Anybody know this Railfan/"railroad historian"?

http://www.al.com/search/index.ssf?/base/opinion/114638853359890.xml?mobileregister?oinsight&coll=3

[vsmith]

Personally I have no trouble with big ticket infrastructure projects, if they make sense.

How much would $700M go the providing HST dedicated ROW thru the entire NE corridor? or using a local issue here, providing a HST service between Los Angeles and San Diego, or San Francisco and Sacremento or San Jose? certainly any of these would benifit far more taxpayers than a few already wealthy casino owners...

[Murphy Siding]

QUOTE: Originally posted by solzrules

QUOTE: Originally posted by Murphy Siding

QUOTE: Originally posted by futuremodal

DM&E isn't having trouble getting the money approved

Yes Dave, DM&E IS having trouble getting the money. They couldn't get it in the open market. Now they have federal guarantees, and yet, no one seems to be knocking down their doors with a bucket of cash. The Rochester group is latching onto this financing "glitch"(?) as the DM&E's achilles heel.

How do you know that? Seems to me that the Rochester coalition in their zeal to run the world were demanding that the DME open the books to them so they could see who's investing. The DME responded that was not how they ran their business. Why doesn't the Mayo clinic open THEIR books and see where all these federal subsidies are going to? The fact is that no one knows who has invested in this or who isn't. The obvious characters like the power plants have been slow to sign on, but that may be for political/legal reasons. The fact that all kinds of ag business organizations as well as several state governments are 100 percent behind this as an opportunity to reign in the BNSF should tell you that someone out there must be willing to throw some money at the PRB expansion.

I'm not sure which part of my post you're asking about. The fact that DM&E has been trying for a number of years to get financing, and is still *trying*, means they're "having trouble getting the money approved". As far as the Rochester group-they don't want this (DM&E) to happen. I'm not saying I agree with them, at all. I'm saying that they will seize any opportunty to *derail*. The financing, being the most high-profile, and easy target makes it DM&E's achilles heel, in my mind.

[Junctionfan]

Instead of spending $700 million on a line relocation that isn't necessary in my opinion, why don't they use that money to strengthen the ***s against future +3 category hurricanes. You need to protect the bathtub city of the U.S.

[beefmalone]

Screw new orleans. Everyone forgets that, although it flooded, there are still structures & buildings left. There is almost NOTHING left on the MS gulf coast. It's all GONE. The sensible thing to do would be to relocate the line north of I-10 like they originally propsed. That would leave a vital rail link, make way for a new highway, and everyone would be happy. Yes, they're going to put a HIGHWAY in there. The old one (us 90) ran right along the beachfront. A new one would be much better protected from anything but another Cat 5. I could care less if the casinos all floated away & stayed gone, but the rest of the gulf coast NEEDS the money.