CSX – Page 31 – Railfanning.org

Illinois Derailment Cause Determined

October 6, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A June 27 derailment of a freight train at St. Jacob, Ill., was caused by a coupler retainer plate that failed, CSX Transportation investigators say. In information filed with the Federal Railroad Administration, the company explained that the coupler retainer plate attached to an empty boxcar dislodged. With that plate out of place, the coupler drawbar dropped between the rails, derailing the boxcar and 20 trailing rail cars. The train was traveling from East St. Louis, Ill., to Indianapolis and consisted of two locomotives and 131 rail cars. A two-person crew was operating the train, and they

Amtrak Adjusts Schedule of Pere Marquette to Accommodate Track Work

August 12, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO – Amtrak is temporarily adjusting the schedule for the Pere Marquette service on the Chicago-Grand Rapids route to accommodate major track work planned by CSX Transportation, the owner of the train’s route in Michigan. The temporary schedule will begin Aug. 14 and continue through at least Sept. 7. The changes will compensate for anticipated delays due to the track work. Amtrak is contacting current reservation holders to inform them of the schedule adjustments and will announce when the normal schedule will be resumed. The westbound Pere Marquette will be scheduled to operate one hour earlier from all stations. In

Florida Commuter Rail Now One Step Closer

August 3, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

ORLANDO – Commuter rail in Florida is one step closer to reality, as Gov. Jeb Bush has announced a comprehensive plan aimed at improving freight service and bringing commuter rail to Central Florida. Under the agreement in principle between the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and CSX Transportation Inc. (CSXT), Florida will invest $491 million to improve infrastructure and expand capacity on two existing rail lines, one of which will be used to establish commuter rail service through a multi-county stretch in the region. “Establishing commuter rail will ease congestion, which will improve the quality of life of people both

STB Releases Fall Peak Service Plans

July 26, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has released letters from Class I railroads outlining their “peak season” service plans. In June, Chairman W. Douglas Buttrey sent letters to the chief executive officers of the seven largest railroads and to the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), asking the railroads to inform the STB of their plans to ascertain the demand for, and to prepare for, the provision of peak-season service; their performance goals for the remainder of 2006 and their plans for achieving those goals; and their plans to communicate their service goals and plans with customers. In

CSX Transportation to Re-Open Gulf Coast Rail Line

January 19, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – CSX Transportation is resuming local freight rail service on its Gulf Coast line, a vital transportation artery to New Orleans, railroad officials announced Jan. 18. Service through the entire area is expected to be restored beginning in early February. “We are incredibly proud of our employees and contractors for their tireless efforts to help bring the railroad and its economic benefits back to the region,” CSXT Chief Operating Officer Tony Ingram said. “Many of them contributed to the rebuild straight through the holidays while dealing with their own storm-related issues at home.” Over the past five months,

Driving down the Atlanta Highway

January 13, 2006 Railfanning.org

One of the great things about commuting regularly between Athens, Ga., and Winder, Ga., is the fact that the road runs parallel to the CSX main line. As such, I often bring my camera to catch some railfanning action.

Success Story? Twenty-Five Years Ago, Railroads Changed Forever, But the Debate Continues Over Whether the Staggers Act is a Success

November 1, 2005 The Cross-Tie

On Oct. 14, 1980, the fate of American railroads changed. Congress passed the Staggers Act, legislation that deregulated the industry. But a quarter of a century later, the debate over the law rages on.

May 2005 Wreck Roundup

June 10, 2005 The Cross-Tie

A vacuum train derailed May 31 at a Carroll Gardens in Brooklyn, Newsday reported. The MTA train pulled out of a station around 4 a.m. and it took crews almost 12 hours to clean up the derailment. A Canadian National train derailed May 30 in Baton Rouge, La., and forced the evacuation of some downtown blocks, The (Baton Rouge) Advocate reported. Eight cars derailed, half of which were carrying the flammable gas propylene oxide, according to the newspaper. On May 24, a Union Pacific train derailed in Los Angeles and a car leaked acetone, a television station reported. A pair

April 2005 Wreck Roundup

May 10, 2005 The Cross-Tie

More than 20 cars from a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed April 26 in North Carolina, snarling rail traffic and delaying Amtrak trains. In all, 21 of the train’s 112 cars derailed. The train was traveling from Asheville, N.C., en route to Linwood, N.C., when it derailed about 40 miles north of Charlotte, N.C. No one was injured in the derailment. A dozen cars derailed April 22 in a CSX rail yard in Waycross, Ga., a Jackson, Fla., television station reported. The 12 cars, which were carrying primarily logs, and two engines derailed in the east end of Rice Yard,

Side Tracks

March 20, 2005 Todd DeFeo

Short-line rail companies continue to carry their weight on routes that otherwise might have been abandoned.