Here’s one to toss around over dinner: the Union Pacific Railroad has been flying drones over some of their rail yards. The company’s stated reason is that they’re monitoring safety procedures—watching for workers crossing between cars, climbing down off of moving equipment, and other infractions that are frowned upon by the safety people. As…
Some months ago, CSX found itself with a new boss when Hunter Harrison became President and CEO of the railroad. Shortly after assuming control, in a performance worthy of Gordon Gekko, Harrison effectively nullified all the work that had been done to reintroduce passenger service between New Orleans and Orlando. Indeed, figuratively speaking, Harrison…
Everyone knows about the devastation Hurricane Katrina brought to New Orleans and other areas of the Gulf Coast in August of 2005. The terrible storm also caused considerable damage to the rail infrastructure skirting the Gulf of Mexico from Louisiana to Florida. Freight traffic was disrupted for months and Amtrak was forced to suspend thrice-weekly…