Stupid CSX Abandonments

CSX should definitely have kept the Norlina Sub in place. That line had a lot of potential for capturing high-priority mail/UPS/FedEx traffic in & out of Atlanta. SCL and SBD did this with their train 290/AAHPY. The abandonment had immediate consequences for this train (which was CSX R190 by then), as it added several hours to the schedule. NS saw an opportunity and created a joint train with Conrail from Atlanta to NYC, TV-212, and CSX lost all their Atlanta UPS business. Then CSX tried to blame it on RF&P by saying the delays were because of switching cab-signal equipped engines at Acca and Alexandria. So RF&P tried to rectify the problem by running their power through on CSX trains to Hamlet, but it didn't work. Oh well. Now CSX has completely lost this opportunity with the new Southeast High Speed Rail program. Surprisingly, however, CSX still owns a good deal of the land that the tracks occupied, so maybe someday we'll see a successor to 290 blasting through Bracey cut.

On CSX abandonment of the old B&O through Ohio, there was an article in Trains I believe, back in the 90's that quoted the CSX president saying that one of the stupidest mistakes they ever made was abandoning that line.

Chessie77 wrote:On CSX abandonment of the old B&O through Ohio, there was an article in Trains I believe, back in the 90's that quoted the CSX president saying that one of the stupidest mistakes they ever made was abandoning that line.

Which line through Ohio are you referring to? There have been more than one that was abandoned.

I think it was the old St. Louis main.

The lines CSX have abandoned have not had sufficient local traffic to cover the costs of maintaining the lines in operation. With Staggers and the end of the ICC, carriers keep the lines that generate traffic and revenues and abandon those that don't.

The Norlina Sub, the National Limited Route and the Perry Cut-off were all good lines CSX foolishly threw away.