CSX and BNSF Railway today outlined plans to deal with the operational challenges from a major winter storm that could affect large portions of both companies’ rail networks.
Norfolk Southern also issued a customer advisory in which it said it was preparing for the storm, which is beginning to hit some areas today (Thursday, Jan. 22) and will continue to move eastward through the weekend.
Responding to a question on CSX’s quarterly earnings call, Chief Operating Officer Mike Cory said the railroad was expecting ice across its network from Nashville, Tenn., through Georgia, and snow farther north. As part of its preparations, CSX plans to have “senior coverage right around the clock in all of our key areas, including our network center,” Cory said.
“We’ve gone over everything from snow clearing to tree clearing, generators, everything that we need in each location, each facility that we see the storm coming through,” Cory said. “… Assets right now are going to be the most crucial thing we protect. At the same time, we expect to see power outages, highway closures, so I do not see us coming out of this probably for a few days. If we get it Sunday, we’re looking at midweek to recover.
“But I’m very confident, especially with the condition that we’re in, that we will come through this with no issues. This is not going to lead us into four months of trouble like it did the year before.”
BNSF, in a customer advisory posted today, said it will adjust train lengths and use distributed power where appropriate to maintain train air pressure; has activated its winter action plans and positioned snow-removal equipment across its network; and will have rapid-response teams standing by around the clock. Those teams include engineering teams to address snow and track conditions and mechanical teams for locomotive and railcar issues. The company has passenger railcars to available to transport crews and support operations in areas where highway conditions could be an issue.
Norfolk Southern’s advisory, issued Wednesday, said no terminal or gate closures were planned for intermodal facilities, but that it would continue to monitor and adapt to conditions through the weekend.
The NS advisory says widespread snowfall of 3 to 6 inches is forecast from the southern plains through the Tennessee Valley, southern Appalachians, Virginia, and Mid-Atlantic regions, with localized snowfall of 6 to 12 inches. BNSF reports snow accumulations of 8 to 15 inches are possible from central Oklahoma to western Kentucky, along with sleet and freezing rain. Northern areas will see wind chills well below zero.
Other railroads may have issued similar advisories, but place customer information in password-protected portions of their websites.
— Updated at 5:30 p.m. CT with information from CSX earnings call. To report news or errors, contact trainsnewswire@firecrown.com.
