Eastern Railroad Discussion > Changes at DeWitt yard.

https://articles-syracuse-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/articles.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2018/07/ny_approves_19_million_project_to_transform_dewitt_rail_yard_into_inland_port.amp

Posted from Android

Not sure I understand the economic significance of this grant. Given it's an election year and upstate NY is hurting economically, I do understand the politcal significance, though.

This article makes it seem that CSX doesn't currently load/unload international containers at its good-sized Dewitt Yard (see attacherd aerial photos) but CSX intermodal schedules show that containers of all sorts plus TOFC are currently originated/terminated there offering service to/from Chicago, St Louis, Florida, California, Texas, Colorado, Pacific NW, Mexico (but not the Port of NY). And CSX has long handled international containers between Buffalo (150 miles west of Syracuse) and the Elizabeth Marine Terminal at the Port of NY. Net: if Syracue-Port of NY international container business was so attractive (estimated to be approx 100 containers per day or 25 wells car in / 25 well cars out daily), CSX could already be offering such service via its network of IM trains. Also seems like the developer (who has a stake in the tiny Intransit Container international IM facility at Worcester) shouldn't be waiting on this small amount of incremental container traffic to construct warehouses when CSX IM terminal at Syracuse already handles traffic from all over the country and Mexico.

CSX doesn't seem to be all that excited about this development as its response is akin to being asked "what caused the derailement?": "CSX officials could not immediately be reached for comment."

It would be good to have involved NYS&W in such a facility, which was quite interested in the service when the Jamesville site was a contender.



 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/11/18 11:02 by JPB.

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The economics of this project seems weird.  Syracuse to NY/NJ ports by rail is what, maybe 300 miles?   6 hours by truck?  And it's not like upstate NY produces a lot of export business.

RRs have typically avoided intermodal markets less than 500 miles, so I just don't see where the traffic is going to come from.

I guess we'll see.  Hopefully by the time the project is finished, we will still have international trading partners to sell to.

march_hare Wrote:
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> The economics of this project seems weird. 
> Syracuse to NY/NJ ports by rail is what, maybe 300
> miles?   6 hours by truck?  And it's not like
> upstate NY produces a lot of export business.
>
> RRs have typically avoided intermodal markets less
> than 500 miles, so I just don't see where the
> traffic is going to come from.
>
> I guess we'll see.  Hopefully by the time the
> project is finished, we will still have
> international trading partners to sell to.

All the export out of Syracuse already left thanks to our great trade policies. Carrier, New Venture Gear, Fisher Inland and on and on.

On the other hand, Walmart in Marcy might bring in a few from China.

Posted from Android

Regardless of what happens with our trading partners, the decline of available truckers continues and there is no end in sight.  So whatever can be moved a little further along by rail will keep product moving efficiently.

Railroads are realizing this and are adapting.........

DeWitt years ago was a former carload hump yard. During the Conrail years, it was closed for a long time then changed into an intermodal yard where double stack cons could be 'fileted' into single stack configuration to terminals mostly in New England. Since then, some of them may have been cleared for stacks or closed with the boxes handled by trucks. There are no container facilities in New York City except for trash. Non-trash all goes to New Jersey ports, and there are several. I also did not know there was no local trucking from Dewitt to nearby areas as implied by the comments. It may have something to do with CSX's decision to de-emphasize the Montreal line and closure of the container terminal they established near Montreal a few years ago. That is reasonable trucking distance.  


 

markyk Wrote:
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> Regardless of what happens with our trading
> partners, the decline of available truckers
> continues and there is no end in sight.  So
> whatever can be moved a little further along by
> rail will keep product moving efficiently.
>
> Railroads are realizing this and are
> adapting.........


True to a point but the shortage is with long distance over the road drivers for the most part. Short haul drivers - the type that work out of inland ports - are not as hard to come by.

Posted from Android

NYSWSD70M Wrote:
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> markyk Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Regardless of what happens with our trading
> > partners, the decline of available truckers
> > continues and there is no end in sight.  So
> > whatever can be moved a little further along by
> > rail will keep product moving efficiently.
> >
> > Railroads are realizing this and are
> > adapting.........
>
>
> True to a point but the shortage is with long
> distance over the road drivers for the most part.
> Short haul drivers - the type that work out of
> inland ports - are not as hard to come by.
>
> Posted from Android

The NS network of intermodal transloads seems to make good use of this availability. There's a steady stream of drivers, both company trucks and owner operators, out of the Bethlehem PA yard. The hundred mile radius includes downstate NY, all of North Jersey, even Philly, etc.

Adapting to the marketplace, as you note, is key to moving forward.

Driver works two deliveries, and is home at night.

A neighbor of mine has a son-in-law that works for a reefer produce trucker that also uses intermodal rail. You can see their reefer vans at Ashland, VA, here, and passing the Flagstaff webcam. I won't mention the name of the trucker. Recently he had to drive a load of mushrooms from Kennett Square, PA the Washington STATE, where I do not know. Across the country essentially. He may have had to go to the truckers base terminal near Scranton, PA to get his tractor. Don't know if he bob-tailed to Kennett or had a load or empty. His time in Kennett Square was so short his wife and two young daughters did not have the time to drive 10 miles to see him. Once he got to destination in WA, he had to wait for a 'load' back to near this Mid-Atlantic area. That was a few weeks ago. I still have not seen him since because altho I do not know him that well I'd like to discuss his transpiration experience.

This is where railroads fail. I know mushrooms have a short shelf life. But why could not trucking from Kennett Square to NS Harrisburg Intermodal (3 hours at most) and NS originates several trains a day there some which may be all or pre-blocked for BNSF Pacific Northwest provide equivalent service with the current truckers hours of driving time rules? At the other end, no waiting time, or motels if the trucker even pays for that. They might have to sleep in the 'sleeper cabs' ....waiting for a return load. What a horrible life. You would be better off in a railroad crew pool, and get a better retirement.

 

shortage is hitting all lanes

A certain  supplier who is literally 4 football fields from one of my warehouses that delivers about 12 loads a day to that particular warehouse has been having about 50% failure rate this past week.......

We are located in one of the intemodal hubs of the East......




 

NYSWSD70M Wrote:
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> All the export out of Syracuse already left thanks
> to our great trade policies. Carrier, New Venture
> Gear, Fisher Inland and on and on.

I thought all the companies fled because of the high NY state taxes.  I exported myself from Syracuse 9 years ago after the job market went south.  I've been back a number of times and Carrier Circle and other area's were looking delapidated.

Cheers, Jim Fitch