SEWA Changes

The mills actually prefer a Barbers routing vs Rotterdam Jct as it's by far the quickest way to get cars off the railroad. After the PAS starts up, a Barbers routing will involve two railroads, ST & CSXT, while a Rotterdam Jct routing will involve three railroads, ST, PAS & CSXT, as PAS is half owned by the NS. Hence the pie is split two ways over Barbers and three ways via ROTTJ.

Not true. The PAS is going to purchase up to Willows East. Even if the cars go to Barber, it's still going to be THREE railroads (on paper): ST (PAR), ST (PAS) to CSXT.
That said, since the ST is the carrier for both PAR and PAS, who knows if interchange points will even be established. The freight might be able to keep moving across property lines without being interchanged.

I'm quite certain that the ST and CSXT will continue to have a direct connection at Barbers that does not involve the PAS.

Trackage Rights Exemption – Pan Am Southern, LLC − Between CPF 312 Near Willows, MA, and Harvard Station, MA, STB Finance Docket No. 35141 (Sub-No. 3), for Springfield Terminal to acquire trackage rights over 6.4 miles of PAS track, to allow Springfield Terminal to continue to connect its remaining lines and to preserve connections to CSXT and Providence and Worcester Railroad Company (P&W).

roberttosh wrote:I'm quite certain that the ST and CSXT will continue to have a direct connection at Barbers that does not involve the PAS.

Trackage Rights Exemption – Pan Am Southern, LLC − Between CPF 312 Near Willows, MA, and Harvard Station, MA, STB Finance Docket No. 35141 (Sub-No. 3), for Springfield Terminal to acquire trackage rights over 6.4 miles of PAS track, to allow Springfield Terminal to continue to connect its remaining lines and to preserve connections to CSXT and Providence and Worcester Railroad Company (P&W).

Oh ok, I didn't even see that.... thanks.

Last week I heard the STB was going to come out with something anyday. Would be nice to hear something...

No problem. Without maintaining that direct connection, I think the STB would have considered this deal more anti-competitive in nature and I'm sure that CSXT would have fought it tooth and nail if they were going to be forced to deal with a JV half controlled by the NS to access the ST and it's Maine Paper franchise - especially since there are clauses written into the agreement where NS can more or less take control of the JV if the ST doesn't hold up it's end of the deal. Many people I've spoken with say this is just the first step in NS completely taking over the involved lines, and even then, am sure they'll have to keep the direct ST/CSXT interchange in place.

I too am hearing any day now, but either way, it looks like environmental concerns are going to delay any construction at the former San-Vel site.