17 replies to this topic

[CNJRoss]

Service Bulletin - Hurricane Katrina, Aug. 26
Released: Aug 26, 2005

Hurricane Katrina made landfall between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., at about 6:30 p.m. Aug. 25, leaving extensive flooding, commercial power outages and downed trees in its wake. The storm moved westward into the Gulf of Mexico overnight and is continuing a westward path.

Freight and passenger service continues to be suspended on CSXT lines between Hollywood and West Palm Beach, Fla. CSXT's Engineering and Signals teams are inspecting tracks and signals along its lines from Sebring and Okeechobee, Fla., south. They will be clearing fallen trees and debris and replacing highway-rail crossing gates as needed. Generators will be positioned at crossings to activate gates in areas without commercial power in advance of restored rail service.

CSXT is monitoring the path of Hurricane Katrina and will activate its hurricane preparedness plan accordingly for the Gulf Coast.

Amtrak trains will continue to turn at Orlando. Tri-Rail service is suspended today.

Service on CSXT's network will be restored incrementally as subdivisions are inspected and deemed safe for operations.

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 the storm.

For more information, customers can call their local CSX representatives or the CSX Customer Service Center at 1-877-SHIP CSX (1-877-744-7279).

[CNJRoss]

Service Bulletin - Hurricane Katrina, Aug. 27
Released: Aug 27, 2005

Hurricane Katrina is now a Category 3 storm, and it continues to move westward in the Gulf of Mexico. Predications are that the storm will begin to move gradually to a more northerly direction and may make landfall early Monday just west of New Orleans. Flood gates in New Orleans are scheduled to close at 6 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 28, after which rail traffic will be suspended.

CSXT is monitoring the path of Hurricane Katrina and is activating its hurricane preparedness plan for the Gulf Coast. Some traffic scheduled for interchange with other railroads at New Orleans is being rerouted through different gateways.

As a result of the initial impact of Katrina in south Florida on Friday, freight and passenger service continues to be suspended on CSXT lines in southern Florida. Engineering and Signals teams are inspecting tracks and signals along its lines from Okeechobee, Fla., south. They are clearing fallen trees and debris and replacing highway-rail crossing gates that were damaged by the storm. Generators are being positioned at crossings to activate gates in areas without commercial power in advance of restored rail service.

Service on CSXT's network will be restored incrementally as subdivisions are inspected and deemed safe for operations.

All precautions are being 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 the storm.

For more information, customers can call their local CSX representatives or the CSX Customer Service Center at 1-877-SHIP CSX (1-877-744-7279).

[CNJRoss]

CSX Intermodal Prepares for Hurricane Katrina
Released: Aug 28, 2005

Hurricane Katrina, now a Category 5 storm with winds of 165 mph, is projected to hit the Gulf Coast within 24 hours. A Hurricane Warning has been issued for the North Central Gulf Coast from Morgan City, Louisiana to the Alabama - Florida border. The city of New Orleans has closed all flood gates as of 0600 August 28.

Based on the projected path of Katrina, CSX Intermodal has ceased all operations August 28 from New Orleans to Pensacola, Florida.

CSX Intermodal's New Orleans and Mobile terminals are closed and will not reopen until after the storm passes and weather permits.

[CNJRoss]

Service Bulletin -Tropical Storm Katrina, Aug. 30
Released: Aug 30, 2005

The storm that struck the Gulf Coast as a Category 4 hurricane early Monday by 11 a.m. today passed through central Tennessee as a tropical storm and has been downgraded to a tropical depression. Engineering and signals forces are inspecting those areas in Tennessee where commercial power outages have affected code line and signals, and they expect to restore service today.

Farther south, where Katrina came through at hurricane force, rail service continues to be suspended from Montgomery, Ala., south, and from Chattahoochee, Fla., west to New Orleans. Montgomery's operations remain unaffected by the storm, and the terminal is handling rail traffic. Engineering and signals forces are conducting inspections and clearing debris between Montgomery and Flomaton, making repairs to signals, and replacing highway-rail crossing arms as necessary. Along the Pensacola bayfront, teams are in place restoring ballast to track affected by the storm. In all locations, rail service will be restored incrementally as CSXT's subdivisions are inspected and deemed safe for operations.

Service is expected to be restored late today between Montgomery, Ala., and Pensacola, Fla.

Between Pensacola and Mobile, inspection of CSXT's network is ongoing. Inspections have begun in the segment between Mobile and New Orleans, but reports are incomplete. High water prevents accurate assessment in some areas, especially in and around New Orleans.

CSXT is continuing to reroute traffic around the affected areas using the gateways at Memphis and East St. Louis for exchange with western railroads.

An embargo has been issued for all merchandise, intermodal and automotive traffic traveling to, from, or through the area between New Orleans and Mobile.

All precautions are being 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 the storm.

For more information, customers can call the CSX Customer Service Center at 877 - SHIP CSX (877-744-7279)

[CNJRoss]

Service Bulletin - Tropical Depression Katrina, Aug. 31 Released: Aug 31, 2005

Katrina has been downgraded to a tropical depression and is moving northeast through New England.

In areas of the Gulf Coast affected by Hurricane Katrina, rail service was restored between Montgomery, Ala., and Pensacola, Fla. Switching operations are ongoing in CSXT's Pensacola yard. Work continues to restore service along the bayfront east of Pensacola. The route between Flomaton and Mobile, Ala., is open to within 14 miles of Mobile, where debris remains on some sections of track.

Inspections continue between Mobile and New Orleans, but high water in some areas continues to hamper accurate assessments, especially in and around New Orleans.

CSXT is continuing to reroute traffic around the affected areas using the gateways at Memphis and East St. Louis for exchange with western railroads.

An embargo has been issued for all merchandise, intermodal and automotive traffic traveling to, from, or through the area between New Orleans and Mobile.

All precautions are being 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 the storm.

For more information, customers can call the CSX Customer Service Center at 1-877-SHIPCSX (1-877-744-7279).

[CNJRoss]

Force Majeure - Hurricane Katrina
Released: Aug 31, 2005

CSX Transportation, Inc. hereby notifies all interested parties that pursuant to the well-established "Liability under Act of God and the Force Majeure Clause" contained in its Conditions of Carriage or Transportation Agreements, CSXT is released from liability relating to the loss and/or damage to commodity or product caused by circumstances beyond the reasonable control of CSXT. These circumstances include damage and loss beginning on or about August 28, 2005, with the occurrence and conditions created as a result of Hurricane Katrina and the damage caused by the uncontrolled rising waters in several states, concluding on or about September 10, 2005.

Katherine E. Wilson, Esquire
Asst. Vice President

[KevinKorell]

Gene Poon earlier wrote: CSX from the Biloxi area to New Orleans: It's bad. So much washed out, it's no use listing it all and the report from the aerial survey isn't in yet. Most track and roadbed will need complete reconstruction. There are three CSX bridges over outlets from Lake Pontchartrain. The Bayou Sara Bridge appears OK. Rigolets Bridge, three miles long, has not been inspected. An independent report says the Chef Menteur bridge had its machinery house washed away. =========================================== I stand corrected. Bayou Sara is noplace near New Orleans; the bridges over the outlets from the lake are Rigolets, Chef Menteur, and Pearl River. A CSX source has been informed that the two-mile long Bay St. Louis bridge is gone, like the highway bridge next to it. -GP

[KevinKorell]

CSX: The following updated information about the CSX bridges east of New Orleans includes some correction to what was reported yesterday. Trestles near Pascagoula, MS have some concrete deck slabs missing and shifted. All movable bridge spans survived. At Biloxi Bay, all track is gone. Some concrete deck panels shifted. Movable bridge span OK. Bay St. Louis: approach trestles are destroyed. Movable bridge appears OK (this is the big change from yesterday's report) but it is standing in the middle of the bay by itself. Close-up inspection needed.

[CNJRoss]

Letter to Customers
Released: Sep 01, 2005

To Our Customers:

CSX Corporation is meeting the needs of its customers outside of the immediate Gulf Coast storm area by rerouting rail traffic through its well-established western gateways, including East St. Louis, Ill., Memphis, Tenn., and Montgomery, Ala.

While damage from the storm is still being evaluated, and restoration will take time, the most severe impact is concentrated on the 100-mile route between Pascagoula, Miss., and New Orleans, including several bridges. However, the western gateway reroutes, along with links to the CSX TRANSFLO and Intermodal facilities, provide effective alternative access to the rest of the company's 22,000 mile rail network.

CSX will work with customers by waiving diversion charges for traffic en route to the affected area. The company will make every effort to help customers arrange alternative plans for storing empty private cars. CSX will also work with customers to help them avoid demurrage related directly to the impacts of the storm or the previously announced embargo.

The company will continue to post changes in shipping instructions on www.csx.com. Click on "Customers." Information is also available through CSX Customer Service at 1-877-744-7279.

CSX has been a citizen of the Gulf Coast region for many decades and extends its deepest sympathies to people affected by the storm, including its employees and retirees in the region. The company is working with customers in the affected areas and is actively supporting relief efforts. The company is also working to support port traffic relocation efforts to ensure the steady flow of U.S. commerce and relief.

Very truly yours,

Clarence W. Gooden
CSX Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer

[dcwarner]

CSXT NO&M "Q" TRAINS:
The following is a list of all CSXT "Q" trains that normally use the NO&M subdivision between New Orleans, LA and Mobile, AL:

Intermodal Trains:
Q101 Jacksonville, FL to New Orleans, LA
Q102 New Orleans, LA to Jacksonville, FL
Q105 Jacksonville, FL to New Orleans, LA
Q106 New Orleans, LA to Jacksonville, FL
Q144 New Orleans, LA to Atlanta, GA
Q145 Atlanta, GA to New Orleans, LA
Q192 New Orleans, LA to Atlanta, GA
Q193 Atlanta, GA to New Orleans, LA

Manifest Freight Trains:
Q572 New Orleans, LA to Birmingham, AL
Q579 Birmingham, AL to New Orleans, LA
Q601 Waycross, GA to New Orleans, LA
Q602 New Orleans, LA to Winston, FL
Q605 Waycross, GA to New Orleans, LA
Q606 New Orleans, LA to Waycross, GA
Q609 Waycross, GA to New Orleans, LA
Q612 New Orleans, LA to Atlanta, GA
Q614 New Orleans, LA to Hamlet, NC
Q617 Atlanta, GA to New Orleans, LA
Q618 New Orleans, LA to Hamlet, NC
Q619 Hamlet, NC to New Orleans, LA