Class I Briefs: NS, CSX
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
(Norfolk Southern photo)
Norfolk Southern (NS) partners with Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) to enhance productivity. Also, CSX extends its partnership with STG Logistics and supports first responders in Tampa, Fla.
NS
NS and FEC are collaborating to improve operations and productivity, resulting in “smoother operations and better customer service,” the Class I recently announced.
The two railroads jointly focused on train 287, which travels from Miami to NS’s Simpson Yard in Jacksonville, Fla. Previously, the train arrived at the yard with cars that did not pertain to the train’s destination. Crews spent multiple hours switching cars and then re-assembling them into contiguous blocks to reach their destination.
Assembling 287 in blocks, NS says, would free up crew member time and ease congestion. It would also have the benefit of reducing the number of switches required to build the train while also speeding up the train to its final destination.
To help the FEC reach similar productivity goals, NS is delivering train 281 assembled in blocks. That train, which transports intermodal traffic, originates at the Charlotte Yard and travels to Atlanta, Ga., before reaching its final destination in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“Our excellent working relationship with the FEC enabled us to easily come up with a solution,” said NS Simpson Yard Superintendent Eric Sams. “Thanks to the FEC’s flexibility, we’ve improved terminal fluidity, and our crews can spend their time supporting more trains. Morale among our crew members has also improved.”
“The safe and efficient transition of freight between the FEC and our interchange partners is a key function of what our team does daily,” said FEC Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Brook Hartzog. “The blocking of traffic is just one example of how when we collaborate, the benefits extend beyond the railroads and ultimately resonate with the customers.”
This isn’t the first time the two railroads have collaborated. In March, NS and FEC announced an agreement to expedite intermodal service for customers.
CSX
Transportation and logistics solutions provider STG Logistics, Inc., announced May 7 that it has strengthened its partnership with CSX, including an expanded relationship to facilitate drayage services to support the Class I’s door-to-door CSX RailPlus product.
“Over the last 30 years CSX’s rail network has given us the ability to scale our intermodal business while providing reliable service to our east coast client base,” said STV Senior Vice President of Intermodal Tyler Holtgreven. “We are incredibly excited about the opportunities ahead, for both of our organizations and our customers.”
Separately, CSX and its teammates at Quality Carriers recently partnered to support first responders in the Tampa, Fla., area.
With the help of Operation Gratitude, CSX assembled 5,000 care kits to honor local heroes who tirelessly serve and protect the community.
