Powder River coal trains & Metra.

Is this a legitimate concern, or, just another angle for the BNSF to shoot to discourage competition?
Courtesy of Progressiverailroading

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/p ... sp?id=9938

Since the freight curfew seems to be pretty much out the window these days, I don't understand how BNSF can make an argument about delaying Metra service as a reason to oppose DM&E's Powder River Basin project; it's a lame, baseless excuse. It's as if they're saying, "Hey D&ME, do us a favor and get lost. Sorry, we don't need any help wreaking havoc on Metra service with delays, we're doing it just fine with our own trains, thanks."

IC&E (which the article refers to as former IMRL), only owns the rails to Randall Road. From there on in, its Metra's railroad. Therefore, I think it will be Metra imposing the curfews, not the freight road.

F40CFan wrote:IC&E (which the article refers to as former IMRL), only owns the rails to Randall Road. From there on in, its Metra's railroad. Therefore, I think it will be Metra imposing the curfews, not the freight road.

Understood. In the article, BNSF made it sound like that trains on the Chicago sub would somehow be impacted by the potential delays in Savannnah, even though that's in far western IL, along the Mississippi River. Or maybe I read it wrong. But either way, it still doesn't seem like a good reason to oppose the plan...

I think you got it right. BNSF seems to be trying the old IBM tactic of FUD; Fear Uncertainty and Doubt.