Progressive Railroading, April, 2015:
To cut fuel costs, Class I railroads renew focus on employee education, new technology
Fuel costs continue to consume a significant portion of Class I railroads' budgets. Even as diesel prices dropped slightly, all but three of them spent more on fuel in 2014 than they did in 2013.
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Across the board, fuel ranked as the second- or third-costliest chunk of operating expenses for each large railroad.
Continued efforts to rein in fuel costs remain a major focal point for all Class Is, especially in the face of unpredictable diesel prices and increasing cargo volumes. A combination of employee education and emerging technologies rank among their top priorities.
Locomotive simulators teach proper fuel handlingFor several Class Is, working directly with their employees is a large part of their fuel management strategy. CSX Transportation, for example, uses a simulator program to help new locomotive engineers gain a firmer understanding of effective train handling and safety "before [they] really start burning fuel," says Meaghan Atkinson, CSX's manager of environmental programs and sustainability.
At CSX's Railroad Education and Development Institute in Atlanta, newly hired locomotive engineers spend 24 to 26 hours behind simulators before beginning actual runs.
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