Connecticut River Line (Pan Am)

A lot of crews will do it to honor a recently passed railroader

Well it gives the foamers something to foam about! Pretty cool to see though!

Interesting bit of data from a recent NHDOT filing with STB re: the on-going dispute between NECR/G&W and PAS over trackage rights charges: The essence of NHDOT's letter is that it supports PAS in this dispute by stating that PAS gained access to a Claremont, NH propane dealer as a consequence of Amtrak's eminent domain taking of the line from a PAS predecessor. The customer can use either PAS or NECR service and Pan Am is currently charged a trackage rights fee of $0.60 per car mile. But NECR wants Pan Am to pay $6.00 per car mile because the value of NECR's recently upgraded Conn River line is "substantial." This would likely price PAS out of this business. However, as NHDOT points out, public money and not NECR funding was used for the infrastructure upgrade that made its value "substantial."

http://www.stb.dot.gov/filings/all.nsf/ ... 240543.pdf

Sounds like a nice supporting document for the STB to consider in making a finding against NECR.

MEC407 wrote:Lame, but they're just doing what PAR would do in the same situation if the tables were turned.

I suspect most railroads would be varying degrees of bitter in a mirrored situation.

But, at any rate, this is one of the major reasons the STB exists, to settle disputes like this. It is interesting to actually see it play out, though; even if it is happening at the steady bureaucratic pace.

PAR and NECR still need to go through the "rock, paper, scissors" phase of this feud though.

Nice to see that all resolved. Looks as though its "case closed".

Looks like PAS v. NECR trackage rights fees dispute currently in process at the STB won't be decided until end of 2016:

Due to the discovery disputes, the procedural schedule was held in abeyance. Given that
the Parties have now conferred and resolved the remaining discovery disputes, the Parties jointly
propose the resumption of the procedural schedule as follows:
- PAS Reply Evidence and Argument: July 19, 2016
- NECR Service of Discovery: August 16, 2016
- PAS Discovery Responses: September 13, 2016
- NECR motions to compel, if necessary: October 11, 2016
- NECR Rebuttal Evidence and Argument: 60 days from when any discovery disputes have been resolved, and both Parties have confirmed that discovery is complete.
- PAS Surrebuttal Evidence and Argument 30 days from filing of NECR Rebuttal Evidence and Argument

http://www.stb.dot.gov/filings/all.nsf/ ... 240775.pdf

Interesting to note that it does appear that they want an STB ruling to sort this out.

They have to because the prior flurry of STB filings requires the STB to adjudicate. It may just be a rubber-stamp ruling if everything is kosher with the carriers' settlement, but they obligated themselves to STB approval in order to formally close the case because of the decision in the first place to take their dispute in front of the board.