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Union Pacific coal deliveries deteriorate

WASHINGTON – Union Pacific Railroads coal service to electric utility companies worsened last week, according to the carrier’s weekly report to the Surface Transportation Board (STB).

Congestion at its Laredo, Texas, gateway spread as far north as Kansas. The number of days UP coal trains took to make a round trip between coal mines and delivery points jumped to 7.1 days from 6.8 days the previous week. The last two weeks of January, the time was 5.6 days. Texas utilities have reported the increased burning of natural gas in an effort to preserve shrinking coal supplies.

The report said, "Trains bound for Mexico are clogging sidings and yards from Laredo through San Antonio to Ft. Wroth and east from San Antonio toward Houston. UP is having difficulty moving coal trains to Texas utilities because of Mexico congestion."

CSX says Conrail acquisition will save states $85 million

JACKSONVILLE – CSX said 24 states would save a total of $85.3 million if its buyout of Conrail, along with Norfolk Southern, is approved by the STB.

CSX the states will save the money by having lower highway maintenance bills because a total of 1.1 million truck miles will be removed from state highways. In addition, CSX said pollution will be reduced because there will be a 120 million gallon reduction in the sale of diesel fuel.

Pennsylvania with an estimated $18.5 million in savings and Ohio with $11.7 million would be the big winners in the Conrail buyout, according to CSX.

U.S. says bus lines must be accessible to disabled

WASHINGTON –The federal government plans to require the nation’s commercial bus lines to spend nearly $500 million to make their fleets fully handicapped accessible by 2012.

Under a proposed DOT rule, all new buses would have to be equipped with wheelchair lifts starting in 2000. Over the course of the 12-year conversion, all carriers would have to provide an accessible bus to any disabled passenger who gives them 48 hours notice.

Conrail closes Ohio tower in Toledo

TOLEDO, Ohio – Conrail will close a signal tower southwest of Toledo reducing the number of such towers in the Toledo area to five.

The closing of this tower means that with the exception of one tower in Cleveland, the Conrail main line is entirely automated between Gary, Ind., and Boston.

Automation is the reason the tower will be closed.