Author Topic: Disagreement between BNSF and NS?  (Read 1072 times)

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C855B

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Disagreement between BNSF and NS?
« on: December 19, 2013, 01:33:03 AM »
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I'm hoping that somebody in the biz or who follows the RR trade publications might know: was there some sort of business dust-up between BNSF and NS recently? Did BNSF steal a big NS customer or something?

I've been drawn into a civic project to fund relocation of a couple miles of NS mainline, in lieu of building yet another overpass. The project calls for modifying the current joint operating arrangement where NS trains operate over about a mile of BNSF secondary main, extending the joint running roughly another mile or mile-and-a-half.

I was told that in the meeting before last, NS managers seemed to be on board with the plan. The last meeting, however, was attended by about 6 or 7 NS brass, forcefully making the point they weren't going to sign-off on any plan which extended the joint running, "We aren't going to agree to anything which adds so much as a foot of running on somebody else's railroad!"

The odd thing is that the proposed change is to NS's benefit, seriously reducing wait times for the junction and the resulting queues which I know gum their operations. Not to mention elimination of 6 grade crossings, two on US-numbered highways. So what caused the NS change of heart? It seemed serious.

Philip H

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Re: Disagreement between BNSF and NS?
« Reply #1 on: December 19, 2013, 08:35:34 AM »
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Could be any number of things - the BNSF relationship, pending but unannounced loss of a customer, declining route revenues, or land cost issues (normally driven by wetlands or other ecological considerations).  But I agree, they seem to be shooting off a toe, if not the whole foot.  Of course, if the do, maybe those Chinese doctors can graft it to their elbow or something to recover.   :facepalm:
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nkalanaga

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Re: Disagreement between BNSF and NS?
« Reply #2 on: December 20, 2013, 02:15:28 AM »
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It could even be an internal power struggle, between two groups of managers.
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draskouasshat

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Re: Disagreement between BNSF and NS?
« Reply #3 on: December 25, 2013, 11:09:32 AM »
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Can you pm me where this is going on?
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kalbert

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Re: Disagreement between BNSF and NS?
« Reply #4 on: January 02, 2014, 10:37:14 PM »
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From what I know about the BNSF, at least as would pertain to my geographic area, they are notoriously difficult to work with. Not exactly assholes on purpose, just difficult to work with as far as getting clearance and communicating goes. Wouldn't surprise me if NS has had enough of that and has found a better way. In St. Paul it's a little different, you pretty much have to play their game to get anywhere.

Could also be NS has plans to increase traffic over that portion and the local community has pushed back wanting the traffic routed around their neighborhood. Or BNSF has pushed back and doesn't want to handle the increase without renegotiating something else too.