Current Conductors and Engineers will likely be retained in the short term. Like all the freight railroads in New England, labor is at a premium, so they can't cover all the jobs all the time now. If CSX does what they did with Conrail, they will implement new division points and crew points slowly the first full year before making any cuts.
But the shop forces in East Deerfield and Waterville will likely see reductions or closures first since Selkirk is only 150ish miles from central Massachusetts. And nothing can happen until the STB and Courts are satisfied so this could be a year long saga.
I also don't think CSX is worried about letting NS maintain the intermodal and automotive traffic into Ayer via Mechanicville as concessions. CSX already have Worcester and East Brookfield operating at higher volumes now since NS doesn't understand that outbound traffic from New England is a highly competitive truck market and thus intermodal and carload is priced cheap.
But on the other hand, one wonders why NS didnt pull the trigger on PAS the past 11 years. I guess they figured there would never be a threat to their business.
But the shop forces in East Deerfield and Waterville will likely see reductions or closures first since Selkirk is only 150ish miles from central Massachusetts. And nothing can happen until the STB and Courts are satisfied so this could be a year long saga.
I also don't think CSX is worried about letting NS maintain the intermodal and automotive traffic into Ayer via Mechanicville as concessions. CSX already have Worcester and East Brookfield operating at higher volumes now since NS doesn't understand that outbound traffic from New England is a highly competitive truck market and thus intermodal and carload is priced cheap.
But on the other hand, one wonders why NS didnt pull the trigger on PAS the past 11 years. I guess they figured there would never be a threat to their business.