Yet Another CSX Mainline Bites the Dust

[C855B]

CSX's ex-B&O line between St. Louis and Vincennes, Indiana has been mothballed. Area governments have been informed as of today that rail traffic has been suspended on the line and the railroad will be removing crossing gates and turning grade crossing signal heads. Otherwise, they are saying they will be keeping the track in serviceable condition for the time being in case overall rail traffic increases.

My take? I doubt it will be back. Given CSX's long history of pulling-up "excess capacity", sometimes executed overnight, it's done. They aren't going through all the effort to turn heads, etc., only to say "never mind" in a few months.

[RockGp40]

This is in addition to a significant portion of the Clinchfield in Tennessee being shut down too. Erwin yard is being closed. The huge downfall in coal is to be blamed.

[RockGp40]

And now CSX is closing a locomotive/railcar shop in Corbin, KY, is also being closed. 180 people will be displaced.

[C855B]

And the stock is up 2% due to investor schadenfreude on the Corbin news. Nothing on the ticker about the line closures, however.

CSX had to do something. While their stock dropped 1Q and 2Q along with the entire sector over coal cutbacks, they have not rebounded as the others have.

[Bob Bufkin]

And they have dropped and combined a lot of trains recently.  Heard something about a major announcement within a month from CSX.  Have no idea what they are up to.

[Jesse6669]

Well it's a stretch but doesn't CN have trackage rights to Vincennes on the old Monon?  Maybe G&W/IO/CIND take over the line and work a deal with CN.. of course CSX might be able to block that.  Who knows.  Seems a shame for such a straight-shot to St. Louis to be abandoned. 

[C855B]

Reviving this topic to confirm the last chapter. Line is done. Barely a year after the announcement, diamonds were removed at Shattuc (BNSF/ex-CB&Q), Sandoval (CN/ex-IC) and Salem (UP/ex-C&EI). Report (not verified) is line remains extant from Vincennes, IN to Olney, IL to service a grain elevator.

[Spikre]

 
   the James River Line is rather underused also.
  will they pawn that one off to Buckingham Branch also ?
     Spikre
       

[ChrisKLAS]

Reviving this topic to confirm the last chapter. Line is done. Barely a year after the announcement, diamonds were removed at Shattuc (BNSF/ex-CB&Q), Sandoval (CN/ex-IC) and Salem (UP/ex-C&EI). Report (not verified) is line remains extant from Vincennes, IN to Olney, IL to service a grain elevator.

Meanwhile, the east end of that same ex-B&O line, between Seymour and Cincinnati, is busier than it's been in decades thanks to the new directional-running scheme that splits traffic between the LCL and the LIRC/B&O.

[Blazeman]

Barely a year after the announcement, diamonds  removed at... Salem (UP/ex-C&EI).

Our contracts have been amended to remove Salem on UP-CSX moves. Salem interchange still in effect with UP-CN moves (contract renewed Aug 1 last year), but expect that will end this summer when renewed.

[C855B]

UP-CN shouldn't be affected, as they connect 8 miles north of the UP Salem yard, in Kinmundy. Whether any interchange actually occurs is another matter.

[C855B]

Two years later...

Since then, the west end of the line (East St. Louis to Shattuc) has been used for car storage since the diamonds were cut. On Friday, the line was cleared of stored cars. Given there has been no indication of restoring the inoperable grade crossings (turning heads, etc.) and there is no industry news about sale of the line, I think it is a safe assumption especially with the improving weather they'll start pulling-up rails and ties within days.