Norfolk Southern Press Release PTC Service Changes

[Jeff Smith]

http://www.nscorp.com/content/nscorp/en ... gposi.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) today said its rail operating subsidiaries will no longer accept shipments of Poisonous-Inhalation-Hazard commodities, effective Dec. 1, 2015. PIH commodities in transit on Dec. 1 will be delivered to destination by Dec. 31. Additionally, passenger and commuter trains operated by Amtrak, Virginia Railway Express, and Metra will be prohibited by law from operating on NS after Dec. 31.

The cessation of service – effective across the entire NS rail network – is required to comply with federal safety laws that become effective after Dec. 31, the government’s deadline for installation of PTC. Despite investment of nearly $1 billion to date, NS will not meet the deadline.

The status of non-PIH traffic interchanged with other railroads and freight operations on the Northeast Corridor after Dec. 31 is currently under review.

“We remain hopeful that Congress will grant the railroad industry an extension of the PTC deadline and appreciate the consideration elected officials and regulators are giving this issue,” said James A. Squires, Norfolk Southern chairman, president and CEO. “However, in order to conduct lawful operations on Jan. 1, 2016, and beyond, we must plan ahead to clear affected loaded and empty freight cars from our system.

“Norfolk Southern sincerely regrets the inconvenience that customers, passengers, and commuters will experience,” Squires said. “Our strong hope is that Congress will act quickly and decisively to allow us to restore full access to our rail network.”

Squires noted that NS is installing PTC on the required lines and equipment as fast as is safe and practical. “PTC is one of the most complex technology implementations in our history,” he said. “It is in everyone’s interest – railroads, customers, suppliers, and communities – that adequate time is devoted to installation, testing, and implementation. Norfolk Southern is committed to getting this right.”

About Norfolk Southern
Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is one of the nation’s premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway Company subsidiary operates approximately 20,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serves every major container port in the eastern United States, and provides efficient connections to other rail carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is a major transporter of coal, automotive, and industrial products.

[talltim]

More info on the chemical types here http://www.nscorp.com/content/nscorp/en ... pment.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[litz]

Not so surprisingly, almost immediately after this announcement, Congress managed to pass an amendment to the omnibus transportation bill extending the deadline by 3 years ...

(now they just have to manage to pass the bill, and get the President to sign it ...)

[johnpbarlow]

Bumping this thread to show that not all NS main lines are currently planned to have PTC implemented. As an example, the NS Southern Tier line between Silver Springs, NY and Binghamton as well D&H South lines north and south out of Binghamton are not indicated as receiving PTC per NS' March 2017 v1.0 implementation plan (PTC is to be implemented in H2 2019 on the Tier between CP-Draw Buffalo and mp368.3, as well as on the Lake Erie Div (ex-NKP?) west of Buffalo by H1 2020). See Table 1 in Appendix B for the list of NS lines targeted for PTC and Table 1 Appendix C for the list of all track segments with proprietary tonnage data redacted.

I'm guessing that at the time this project plan was published, the Tier east of the R&S connection at Silver Spring (lots of salt traffic interchanged/hauled?) didn't meet the 15M annual tonnage and PIH/TIH thresholds. However, now that the new Portage bridge is complete, there has been a measurable traffic increase in bulk commodities like grain and frac sand over the Tier with multiple sections of 310 manifest trains per day running (eg, interchange with Delaware Lackawanna now runs across the Tier to the Sunbury line to Scranton). Comments?

Click on the link below to download a copy of the 400+ page .PDF file to your computer:
https://www.regulations.gov/contentStre ... ntType=pdf

[justalurker66]

As NS put it:
"Appendix provides the NSR PTC alternative schedule, sequence and hardware showing completion of a majority of PTC territories by 12/31/2018 and total implementation completed by 12/31/2020."

The "majority of PTC territories" not necessarily being the majority of system miles or train miles. (For example, completion of the Marion Branch 58.5 miles 32 signals PTC is scheduled for 1H 2018 - completion of the Chicago Line 342.1 miles 243 signals PTC is scheduled for 2H 2020.)