Eastern Railroad Discussion > Question about reroutes during derailments and natural disasters

I've seen intermodal R131/R132 (Q131/Q132) reroutes on CSX on the Toledo Subdivision through Cincinnati then down to the CSX LCL Subdivision as well as BNSF coal trains 701/702 on NS on the CNO&TP and Z900/Z901 on the CSX Henderson Sub. First of all how long will these be going on? Second of all do they have to pay each other for rerouting their trains on foreign rails. I'm also assuming since CSX or NS is using one of their crews (coal for example) that no horsepower hours are being accumulated since it's not technically their train at each end of the route. Also do they have mutual agreements that allow them during accidents due their fault or not or natural disasters they can use each other's rails?

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/12/19 19:19 by jbrailkentucky.

There are detour agreements between railroads to cover such moves due to derailments or other conditions that close a route at some flat rate per train mile or some such metric.  If Railroad A wants to detour some trains on Railroad B, it contacts Railroad B, which then gives permission to Railroad A to operate X number of trains over its routes, depending on its route capacity and ability to provide pilot crews to the trains.  Generally railroads cooperate on these types of agreements because they know they may need have the favor returned at a later date.

There are as well prewritten haulage and/or track right agreements....one road only has to call up the other road to claim use of said rights, and the text of the agreement will be followed. Some accomodation as said is provided for capacity and pilot availability if they are needed. If needing rights on a road where you don't have an agreement, you may get temporary access but be prepared to pay through the nose! On CSX we have rights on NS from Southern Crossing in Lynchburg, va to Petersburg (accessing Collier Yard), via Crewe....we haven't used those rights in ages but the agreement is maintained against the day it may be needed. It has been used in the past. We get pilots at Southern Crossing, and an NS pusher to shove us up to Kinney and it's through the wyes until you get headed east toward Crewe...we operate the train under pilot direction until we are out of time and the pilot then takes over. New pilot received at Crewe and we are on duty but unable to work until Petersburg is reached...it's a grueling but well paying route.