PT1101 wrote:...I had been told the new PAS/PAR/NS relationship helped revitalize switching activities at Rigby Yard, but was not told how...
Basically, if I understand correctly, Pan Am would previously back haul all traffic from Boston to the New Hampshire/Maine border on road freights to E.D. for switching and classification, even if the traffic was bound for say, Halifax. The one exception being the NHN gravel train.
That arrangement was of course counter productive, when Rigby was so much closer. Didn't matter much to Pan Am though, they handled the car as they saw best fit, and made enough profit on the car to not worry about the counterproductive haul.
When NS stepped in, with PAS, E.D. now technically belongs to another railroad. For Pan Am to switch NH and other purely Pan Am traffic at E.D. requires handing the cars over to Pan Am Southern. In effect, PAS collects all revenue on the car while it is moved over PAS rails. Now for every car switched at E.D. the prancing pony gets half the revenue, as PAS splits revenue 50/50 between the two respective owners.
Being smart business people Pan Am management decided to start switching those cars at Rigby (as they should have all along.) Now local traffic between Rigby and about Boston is hauled to Rigby, oodles closer than E.D. for switching and classification. They get all the revenue, pay PAS nothing for switching and surcharges, and better serve customers. Even better, jobs that were lost back in the early 2000's to management/labor issues come back to Maine. Thanks NS!
Hope that helps.