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[dcwarner]

Hurricane Ivan is bearing down on Florida and is currently forecast to make landfall somewhere on its' southern or southwestern coast early next week. As with Frances, the entire state is bracing for another bout of high winds and heavy rainfall that will wreak havoc on the already saturated grounds and battered structures located anywhere along the storms path. CSX Intermodal's Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa terminals have not received or fully processed all the freight that was en route to Florida before Hurricane Frances. These terminals are already over capacity and will have trouble handling what is currently en route before being battered by another storm.

As a result, CSX Intermodal will close all inbound gates today around our network to all traffic destined to any Florida terminal after the last gate cut off published at each origin terminal. We will also close our inbound gates at Orlando and Tampa after the last northbound gate cut off today to both loads and empties in order to allow these terminals to clean up the traffic and empties that are already there. No additional freight will be accepted after today's gate cut offs to or from Florida. The inbound gate at Jacksonville will remain open as long as possible for northbound loads only. Northbound service from Jacksonville and Talleyrand is still operating until further notice.

Please also be advised that with the high number of loads already en route to Florida, loads brought in gate today at most CSXI origin points will not move until the storm has passed and the service curtailment has been lifted. As a result, any traffic being shipped to Florida in a Hurricane Relief effort should be moved via alternate means.

We will continue to monitor the progress of the storm and provide further communication regarding terminal closings as necessary.

Courtesy of CRTS

[CNJRoss]

Hurricane Ivan September 14, 2004 - CSX Service Bulletin Currently, Hurricane Ivan is expected to make landfall on the Gulf Coast near Mobile, Ala., late Wednesday, Sept. 15, or early Thursday, Sept. 16. Uncertainties remain about the track of the storm, and plans will be updated based on changing information. Evacuations are in effect in coastal regions along the Florida Panhandle and in low-lying areas in coastal Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. The New Orleans Levee Board will advise on Wednesday, Sept. 15, concerning plans for closing of the city’s floodgates, which will affect interchange rail traffic. Currently, arrangements are being made by CSXT, UP, BN and other railroads to divert traffic away from the expected landfall area. Interchanges between railroads at Mobile have ceased. KCS is not accepting any more cars for interchange at New Orleans. CSXT yards from New Orleans, La., to Pensacola, Fla., will not operate after 11 p.m. this evening. The last CSXT trains between those points in advance of Ivan will run tonight. Amtrak service between Orlando and New Orleans has been suspended. Ballast trains are currently staged at various locations from Hamlet, N.C., to Mobile and throughout key points in Georgia. Generators, chain saws and other equipment have been staged throughout these locations, and private contractors are on call to help with removal of debris and restoration of CSXT lines in the aftermath of the storm. Signal teams are on hand to remove and secure highway rail crossing gates late Tuesday, which will initiate suspension of rail traffic along routes in Hurricane Ivan’s projected path. All precautions will be taken to ensure the safety of our employees, customers, and the public with minimum delay to shipments as we continue to monitor the progress of this storm.