09.December, Montpelier VT – At a meeting with the Vermont Rail Council, Vermont Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn emphasized the state’s commitment to Amtrak service, despite the current CoVid suspension. Flynn reflected on the seriousness of the virus and the rapidity of its spread as justification for the suspension and as an indication that the train […]
PREVIOUS PLANS ADJUSTED BASED ON PUBLIC INPUT AND PERSISTENT LOW RIDERSHIP. CHANGES ARE IN EFFECT FOR FY2021 ONLY. FY2022 PROSPECTS WILL BE EVALUATED THIS COMING SPRING.
14.December, Boston MA {MBTA Press Release, lightly edited} – Today the MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB) approved a series of revised short-term service changes for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) that incorporate recent public input and additional analysis of ridership. These service changes help match service levels with current and near-term low ridership demand […]
Digester and one paper machine to be permanently shut as a result of April Explosion
Pixelle Paper’s Androscoggin mill in Jay which was rocked by an April explosion in the pulp digester announced that it would not resume pulping operations and would leave idle one of three paper machines at the mill. Layoff notices went to 67 employees, the third round of layoffs in a plant now with only 281 […]
THE PAN-AM TEAM HAS A LOT TO BE PROUD OF. IT IS WORTH REFLECTING ON THE WAYS THAT SHIPPERS, WORKERS, AND REGIONAL COMMERCE HAVE BENEFITED UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF DAVID A FINK AND OTHER PAN AM MANAGERS IN THE PAST DECADE.
The early years of Guilford Transportation were contentious. The company sharply reduced maintenance and endured two bitter strikes as it reduced crew size and total employment. More than half the traffic vanished. Allegations of poor service and a series of rule violations tarnished the company’s reputation. It was with some surprise when I read 20 […]
So, CSX, you’ve just bought the largest regional railroad. Let’s take a look at what you have and what is unique about this region you’ve expanded into. Do you really need our advice? Maybe not – CSX is already the leading class 1 in regards to reliable service and customer connection. CSX already toured the […]
BIPARTISAN PROPOSED $900 BILLION COVID RELIEF PACKAGE FLOATING IN SENATE; INCLUDES $1 BILLION FOR AMTRAK AND $15 BILLION FOR TRANSIT
The bill is far from a done deal, but does represent forward movement after many weeks of deadlock. The eight senators that are championing the compromise made clear that the bill was a short-term fix to provide emergency funding between now and March 31, 2021 and Democrats are talking of further covid relief measures once […]
Winners Port of Saint John/ J.D. Irving/Irving Limited PSJ gets a third Class 1 to compete for traffic to the Midwest and Northeast, likely to include crude oil for Irving in the future. However, CN appears uninterested in container traffic from Halifax to the northeast, considering it as short-haul. Canadian National Railways CSX and CN […]
The official press release
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – November 30, 2020 – CSX Corp. (NASDAQ: CSX) today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire New England’s Pan Am Railways, Inc. (“Pan Am”), whose rail carrier subsidiaries comprise North America’s largest regional railroad. Headquartered in North Billerica, Massachusetts, Pan Am owns and operates a highly integrated, nearly 1,200-mile […]
CSX INTEREST IN PAS B&M ROUTE IMPLICITLY PUTS CSX B&A LINE ON THE BLOCK; ONLY ONE BUYER IS WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE.
A long-sought East-West passenger solution may be another dramatic discovery fallen out of Norfolk Southern’s recent filing with the STB, which divulges CSX’s advanced interest in partnering with NS on the B&M/Patriot Corridor line. Numerous advocates have publicly urged the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to impose itself in the Pan-Am sale, as an opportunity to secure […]
Funds for major Norwalk River and Connecticut River projects on Metro-North and Amtrak
27, October-Washington DC–Two major bridge replacements in Connecticut will get USDOT ‘State of Good Repair’ grants, announced Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, replacing the Norwalk (“walk”) bridge on Metro-North and the Connecticut River bridge on Amtrak between Old Saybrook and Old Lyme. Both movable bridges are long-time priorities, prone to malfunction and their replacement will mean […]