We have had several threads going about the bottle trains, so this naturally falls right into that topic. Tuch ----- Original Message ----- From: John Krattinger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: AAA <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 1999 22:58 Subject: CRTS Update #11-98 > CRTS Update #11-98 > Wednesday, November 24th, 1999 at 20:05 EST > > Surface Transportation Board (Board) Chairman Linda J. Morgan announced > today that the Board has issued a decision finding no basis for granting > the request of Acme Steel Company (Acme) for an emergency service order > under 49 U.S.C. 11123. Acme had asked for a declaration of an emergency > and an order directing the Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NS), CSX > Transportation, Inc. (CSXT), and the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad > Company > (IHB) to cooperate with each other and to coordinate in providing rail > transportation to Acme's facilities in the Chicago, Illinois, area. > > Acme stated that it filed the petition for emergency service relief to > address service problems that have arisen during the transitional period > since the operations of the Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) were > taken over by CSXT and NS on June 1, 1999. Indicating that its rail > service has deteriorated, Acme asked the Board to issue an emergency > service order directing the three carriers to cooperate so that service > to > Acme will be provided no less quickly than it was historically provided > by > Conrail. > > The Board denied the petition, concluding that the relief sought was > inappropriate and unnecessary. While recognizing that shippers have > faced > service issues since the transfer of Conrail's operations to CSXT and > NS, > the Board found--and Acme conceded--that the current situation is not > similar to that which compelled the Board in 1997 to declare an > emergency > in the West. The Board also noted that Acme has never asked the Board > to > work with the carriers on Acme's behalf, and in fact, in its formal > petition for emergency relief, Acme did not ask the Board to take any > specific action to address specific operational problems, or to provide > the > type of relief (related to the routing or movement of traffic) > identified > in the emergency service provisions of the law. And the Board saw no > need > to grant the relief that Acme did seek--an order "direct[ing] NS, CSXT > and > IHB . . . to immediately begin cooperating in coordinating their > facilities > to allow the prompt movement of hot metal"--because it was clear from > the > record, including Acme's own submission, that the carriers are already > cooperating and coordinating their operations to provide improved > service > to Acme and to other shippers. > > The Board noted that it continues to actively monitor the operational > aspects of the Conrail transaction through CSXT's and NS's regular > service > data reporting, and through daily contacts with railroads, shippers, and > railroad employees, and has developed an informal process to address > specific service complaints. The Board's Office of Compliance and > Enforcement (OCE) has established an open line of communication with > senior > railroad officials, and OCE immediately forwards service complaints > brought > to it informally by shippers seeking assistance. OCE follows up on each > complaint to ensure that it is being addressed appropriately. In some > cases, OCE staff may review the steps that the carrier is taking, and > may > recommend alternatives. Handling shippers' individual service issues > informally in this manner, the Board pointed out, provides an effective > way > for the Board to facilitate real solutions to shippers' service concerns > without overreaching governmental action. Declaring an emergency simply > so > that it could issue an order on Acme's behalf directing the carriers to > do > what they are already doing, however, would be inappropriate. > ------------------------------------------------------ This is the Illiana Railroad Discussion List. For more info visit http://www.railcenter.com/illiana ------------------------------------------------------
