Now that Hunter Harrison at CSX is dead will things for Amtrak improve

[Anderson]

As much as I'd enjoy a transaction that left Berkshire Hathaway/BNSF with 2/3 to 3/4 of the resulting company and in turn resulted in any activist investor being point blank told "We own a supermajority of this company; if you don't like your returns on this investment, find another", I agree that they'd want an all-cash transaction. That being said, I wonder if there aren't some parts (or sets of rights) that could be split off to CN, CP, NS, or even state agencies as part of a deal playing out?

 

[jis]

Maybe Virginia will get a chance to reverse its hopeless mistake decades back and actually be able to own RF&P.

There is quite a bit of property that CSX might be willing to part with in Florida, but until Baldy exits stage left nothing will happen in Florida.

 

[twropr]

My observation has been that since the EHH takeover that more Amtrak trains have been incurring delays from following freights than previously. I've heard (but not confirmed) that orders were put out for train dispatchers to not delay freights thru overtakes. Experienced dispatchers are able to run an Amtrak around a freight without creating any serious delays, but newer dispatchers are likely afraid to try it. Keep in mind that Baltimore and Florence dispatchers have already been relocated to Jacksonville and others have been given notice to relocate in February. This may have caused some of the dispatchers with other craft experience to revert to their former craft rather than endure the abuse in today's environment (I have heard from some dispatchers that the present environment is terrible).

It would appear that until the working conditions for dispatchers are addressed and the dispatchers, once again, have the option of overtakes, that delays to Amtrak will continue.

Andy