More Thursday rail news in brief:
CSX cuts 86 from managerial ranks
CSX cut 86 jobs — mostly at its Jacksonville, Fla., headquarters — last week as part of management realignment, the Jacksonville Daily Record reports. The railroad told the newspaper in a statement: “The changes followed a careful review of our management organization that considered what work we should be focused on and whether that work resides in the right place in the organization … The synergies achieved through these realignments unfortunately resulted in the reduction of some management positions across the company.”
Intermodal firm backs CSX, CN request to change conditions of Massena Line sale
An intermodal shipping firm has told the Surface Transportation Board it supports the request by CSX Transportation and Canadian National to reconsider conditions to the sale of CSX’s Massena Line to CN. In a June 16 filing, Atlantic Container Line’s vice president of logistics, Brian McBride, says the proposed sale could reduce transit times for shipments by 24 hours. “We are concerned that these anticipated benefits will not be achieved if the transaction is not able to move forward,” he writes. The line sale, which has already been approved by the STB, is in limbo because the board ordered the elimination of a provision which would bar CN from negotiating direct interchange with the Finger Lakes Railway and the New York, Susquehanna & Western in the Syracuse area. [see “Railroads say sale of CSX Massena Line to CN may fall through,” Trains News Wire, May 29, 2020.] Interchange with those railroads could cut CSX interchange business from CN.
Ottawa transit chief doubtful light rail issues will be fixed this summer
As Ottawa prepares for another maintenance shutdown of its troubled Confederation Line light rail, the head of the transit agency in Canada’s capital city expressed doubt the system’s builder can fix the line’s problems this summer. Global News reports that John Manconi, general manager of OC Transpo, told the city’s transit commission that he is “not confident” the Rideau Transit Group will meet an Aug. 31 deadline, because it has not agreed to that date or any other to complete the work. A software update has addressed problems with the doors on the light rail vehicles, but other outstanding problems involve control systems, rails, and catenary. The line is set for full or partial shutdowns June 21-24 for more work.
