The Surface Transportation Board has reached out to CSX again with concerns over the railroad’s performance and lack of improvement. CSX will now be expected to provide a detailed schedule, including milestones and key actions, for the remaining implementation of the company’s new operating plan by August 24, 2017.
Three weeks ago STB sent a letter to Hunter Harrison, the CEO of CSX, requesting weekly phone calls to discuss solutions for the problems the railroad is currently experiencing following a series of customer complaints about the unpredictable and slow service, excessive congestion in the key hubs of New Orleans and St. Louis, and rail cars sitting idle for days.
While the railroad has participated in the weekly telephone calls with STB it has failed to provide any hard data. According to STB, that lack of data has made it difficult to assess the magnitude of problems and pace of recovery for the railroad.
Each railroad is required to submit weekly service data reports and based off of that information it does not appear that the CSX’s performance will simply continue to deteriorate. All of that data will be published on STB’s website for shippers, stakeholders, customers, and other railroads to review.
Harrison has made several major changes to the railroad since taking over as president and CEO. As part of his precision railroad system, he has closed rail yards, removed 900 locomotives and 60,000 freight cars from service, laid off 2,300 employees, and plans to lay off an additional 700 by the end of the year.
As problems persist, federal regulators want more details from CSX
