UTU News Digest - Monday, May 17, 1999

UTU Daily News Digest

Information of interest to operating railroad and transportation employees

Monday, May 17, 1999

MINNESOTA: UTU engineer aids in rescue after train strikes man

St. PAUL -- A railroad engineer armed with a cellular telephone played a key role this week in quickly locating a Jordan man who had been struck by a train in rural Scott County.

After notifying Scott County authorities Thursday night, engineer Paul A. Sutherland of Local 650 who lives in White Bear Lake also ignited a flare that directed deputies and ambulance workers to the remote area of track near Scott County Road 59 north of U.S. 169, said Dave Einertson, Scott County chief deputy.

The 36-year-old victim, Daniel Lee Slather, was airlifted to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, where he was listed in serious condition with a broken left arm and facial injuries on Friday.

According to Einertson, Slather was walking home along the railroad tracks when he was struck by the Union Pacific freight train about 9:30 p.m. Slather lives in the area where the accident occurred.

The train, which had started out in St. James, Minn., and was destined for the Valley Park switching yards on the Savage-Shakopee border, was traveling at 25- to 30-mph when Sutherland suddenly saw a man walking in the middle of the tracks, waving his arms.

Sutherland started braking and sounded his horn, and Slather moved out of his view, Einertson said.

After Sutherland stopped the train, he took his cell phone, dialed 911 and alerted authorities to the accident, according to sheriff's dispatcher Lyn Rohe.

"He was on the phone when he located the victim. I asked him to light a flare so deputies and ambulance personnel could find the spot where the accident occurred,'' Rohe said.

The area is remote and the fact that Sutherland was able to pinpoint the accident scene was critical to Slather's quick transportation to the hospital, Einertson said.

NEW YORK: June's Conrail split may create chaos on regional rails

NEW YORK -- In the world of rail dispatching, red on the computer screen represents a train. Green means it's safe to proceed, purple warns of hazards and blue signals a switch between tracks.

The dispatcher's main job is to keep trains from running into each other, a task so important that railroad officials want to make sure everyone is ready for a major rail restructuring on June 1.

The planning for changing the dispatching operations began in earnest six months ago. Routes were grafted on to some territories and taken away from others. Dispatchers were trained, and some made arrangements to move early from Mount Laurel, N.J., to Harrisburg, or Albany, N.Y., so they could have time to get used to their new stations.

It's all part of the preparations for the upcoming split of Conrail Inc. between CSX Corp. and Norfolk Southern Corp. - the most complex restructuring in modern railroading because it seeks to break up an active rail carrier before merging with another.

In the wake of the service disruptions and delivery delays that followed a 1996 merger of Union Pacific with Southern Pacific, participants in the upcoming transition are paying special attention to the details.

CSX and Norfolk Southern legally could have taken over Conrail routes as early as Aug. 22, 1998, but decided to wait until June 1 to make sure computers will be compatible, workers will know where to go and trains will be at the right place and headed in the right direction.

Planners have been working since the spring of 1997, when CSX and Norfolk Southern first outlined how they would split Conrail.

"If there ain't time to do planning, it ain't going to happen right," said Patrick J. McWilliams, supervisor of train operations at Conrail. "More planning went into everything that was done."

By changing the dispatching operations ahead of time, the railroads hope to remove yet another variable that could cause problems during the transition.

"You can't say on June 1, let's move all this to Harrisburg," McWilliams said. "You would be in such a state of flux. You wouldn't know what's coming and going."

Representatives from the three companies spent several months deciding how to divide Conrail locomotives and other assets. They had to project the types of traffic each railroad will get and make sure Norfolk Southern gets 58 percent of the assets and CSX the remainder, reflecting the share of Conrail each bought.

Other teams worked with more than a dozen unions to come up with transition agreements to govern who would work for which company and under what conditions. Those agreements are essentially completed, although some had to go to arbitration.

Computers presented a special headache. The three companies had to make sure their own system talked with those of their partners. Otherwise, trains could get lost, and workers could go unpaid.

Other tasks included restructuring Conrail freight rates to mirror those at the new companies and making capacity improvements, including a $220 million project to build a second set of tracks from Chicago to Greenwich, Ohio, along a major east-west route that CSX will get.

ILLINOIS: Railroads face traffic delay fines

SPRINGFIELD--Trains that frequently block rush-hour traffic in Cook County could face $1,000 fines under legislation passed by the House Friday and sent to Gov. Ryan.

The fines could be levied if a train stops traffic more than 10 minutes in a half-hour during morning and afternoon rush hours.

Keeping trains moving should decrease the number of collisions at railroad crossings, said Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Collinsville), a supporter of the bill.

"It happens so often that people get restless and try to run illegally through the railroad crossing," he said.

Hoffman said he wants the General Assembly to revisit the issue next session and expand the law to cover all of Illinois.

Opponents said the bill will hurt the railroad companies. "Putting restrictions on trains in Illinois will interfere with the private sector doing its job," said Rep. Terry Parke (R-Hoffman Estates).

CALIFORNIA: Valley commuters may gain from Davis' budget

SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Gray Davis will propose spending $1 billion on transportation, parks and other public projects -- including millions of dollars to ease Silicon Valley commuter angst -- when he unveils a revised version of his $77 billion state budget.

The governor will add $75 million to bolster commuter train and ferry systems, including $14 million to buy a locomotive and five coach cars for the Altamont Commuter Express train, an administration source said last week.

The infusion of funds would allow the commuter train to greatly expand the number of passengers it carries from the Central Valley to Silicon Valley. About 1,600 commuters now make the daily trek by train over the Sunol Grade.

The governor's transportation proposal also includes an additional $6 million to expand public ferry service in the Bay Area and $55 million to buy more railroad cars. That includes $22 million to fund two additional round trips on the Capitols line between San Jose and Roseville, as well as expanded service on rail lines serving the Central Valley and Southern California, the official said.

NEW YORK: Bentley appointed president of New York Regional Rail

NEW YORK-- New York Regional Corporation's Board of Directors announced this morning that W. Robert Bentley has accepted the Board's offer to serve as President of New York Regional Rail Corporation, a position in which he had served previously in an 'Acting' capacity.

He will continue to serve as President of NYRR's Cross Harbor Railroad, a position he has held since January of 1998.

In a communication transmitted late Friday afternoon to the Board, Mr. Bentley said: "I am gratified by the faith and confidence that you have placed in me at this time. New York Regional Rail Corporation, and its Cross Harbor Railroad (NYCH), are at an historic crossroads in their collective history. In just two weeks time, this Railroad will be called upon to transport a sizeable portion of New York's rail-freight commerce. I am proud to report that our management, staff and crews are ready, willing and able to shoulder this new responsibility, and welcome this challenge with a great sense of opportunity," he concluded.

In addition to the Company's ongoing emphasis on facility upgrades and enhancements, Mr. Bentley, with the Board, has been spearheading a concerted effort to solidify key management and administrative positions at the Railroad - this in order to fully prepare the Company for the long-awaited increase in business and resultant revenues. In this regard, he has signed long-term employment agreements with all key management personnel.