Eastern Railroad Discussion > Pan Am/CSX Waterville Intermodal?

There is a strong rumor that CSX is planning to run intermodal trains, with Pan Am, to Waterville, Maine. Some may remember that NS had a program with Pan Am (when it was Guilford) that eventually died. I heard it was equipment shortages that killed that service, which is logical given the timing (around the turn of the century). There were perhaps longer runs that made more money, so equipment was shifted. And now that NS has Ayer and Pan Am Southern, perhaps they no longer have an interest in rail to Maine.

Currently Pan Am and CSX run trains SEPO and POSE (between Portland and Selkirk). Presumably the new intermodal trains would follow the same routing.

Anyone have the real story out there? I have heard reports (rumors) that work is taking place in Waterville and that the cranes are being repaired and returned to service. Any info would be appreciated.

I'm assuming this service would reach Pan Am's Freight Main main at Ayer, immediately north of the same yard where the PARy & NS Patriot Corridor terminate. Is there extra capacity there, or would this train simply run through?

* JB *

w.f.p.t. | w.l.s.

I think it would be a run through from CSX, so it would come via Worcester up to Ayer, yes. Though I do not know whether there would be any work at Ayer. I am thinking not. CSX has expanded their intermodal facility at Worcester, so any ramping of this train would probably be there. But I don't see containers being loaded at Worcester for Maine. It is just not economical.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/12 06:51 by goxmit.

If the service goes to Waterville, I hope it's not time sensitive stuff. PAR has trains dying all over the place recently. I presume that's for a lack of crews. It's a very slow railroad in terms of getting trains over the road.

Shippers report good service levels lately, though I think the new oil trains are probably stressing the system a bit. SEPO and POSE run very well and stick to schedule. I suspect CSX and PAR have it under control.

Pan Am is a different company than it was just a year or so ago. Ops have changed, maintenance does not seem to be a dirty word, etc.

Absolutely no way that CSX and PAS/NS are running/sharing intermodal trains there... They are bigger competitors here... If PAS wants to run intermodals, they can do it in Ayer, MA in where 90% of the time NS intermodals are being built. The other 20% comes from Waterville. Between Worcester (CSX) and Ayer it's only 30 minutes apart.. so there is absolutely no need to share. Back then before the PAS herald/name was formed, Guilford and Conrail ran dedicated intermodal trains from Chicago to Worcester-Ayer-Waterville, with CR and Guilford power (TV95-TV96) and was very successful, since of JB Hunt/Scheneider trailers has been going in and out on both ways. Now when the CR-NS-CSX split happened, the intermodal service went on to NS.

I am an New Englander myself, know the people up there quite well, I know how the business operates and how the trains are being run. CSX and PAS/NS are huge competitors.. so it is NIL that they are to do that. CSX is building the new Worcester facility to expand Boston Line operations, ending freight operations there at Worcester/Framingham while the CSX trackage from Worcester to Boston are to be turned over to MBTA, since the Beacon Park facility are to be shut down, the yard is to be shrinked down to a smaller local yard to serve the produce facilities. (Even, they can move the yard operations to the old Nevins yard in Framingham for switching instead of towing it all the way to Beacon Park) The yard property is sold to Boston University, as they are to expand campus operations there.

CR

This new service will be between CSX and PAR,not PAS/NS.It will be traffic for the Waterville ramp and Saint John NB.The Waterville cranes are indeed being overhauled as we speak

Peter N

Maine

And I have heard that Pan Am brass has been in Saint John quite a bit lately. The CSX trains will not use PAS track. NS and CSX compete, yes, but PAR is also in the business of growing.

There has been a lot of track work on Pan Am in Maine, east of Bangor. Oil trains are part of it, I am sure, but I am also guessing that there is an effort underway to get rid of the 10 mph slow orders for this service.

CSX and Pan Am recently signed a new agreement and was posted on the CSX gateway.

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