CSX Needs to go Green

Click title for full story Railroad laments stalled San Pedro port yard By Art Marroquin, Staff Writer 02/25/2008 11:39:02 PM PST A $300 million "green" railroad line serving the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach might finally be considered by summer, about three years after the massive project was first suggested, officials said Monday. The Southern California International Gateway rail yard designed by Burlington Northern Santa Fe boasts elements to reduce air, lighting and noise pollution by using cleaner-burning cranes, locomotives and trucks, while also removing about 1million trucks annually from the Long Beach (710) Freeway.

Lakeland Chamber Says CSX Proposal Needs More Study

Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - 7:06 PM EST Lakeland Chamber says CSX proposal needs more study Tampa Bay Business Journal - by Michael Hinman If CSX Corp. wants to build a integrated logistics center near Winter Haven, it first should make sure every impact to surrounding communities is studied and mitigated. That was the gist of a resolution passed Wednesday by the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce. It is asking the state government to fund and undertake a comprehensive feasibility study to "evaluate and determine the most efficient and cost-effective manner to meet Florida's current and future needs for the movement of freight and passenger rail, along with vehicular traffic, prior to committing to this project." Jacksonville-based CSX Corp. (NYSE: CSX) has plans to build a 5 million-square-foot ILC on more than 1,200 acres in southern Winter Haven executives say could boost the state's economy by more than $10 billion while creating more than 8,000 jobs. The proposal, however, has not been met well with Lakeland business owners, particularly those in the downtown district where CSX tracks would potentially experience higher traffic and create tie-ups that could discourage shoppers from going there, opponents say. "The chamber, city of Lakeland and Lakeland CSX task force have been working over the past several months to thoroughly analyze the impact that the proposed CSX ILC and Central Florida Commuter Rail projects will have on Lakeland and other communities throughout our region," said Tim Campbell, chairman of the chamber's board of directors, in a release. "As a result, we feel that it is essential that the Florida Department of Transportation fund and conduct a complete study and statewide analysis of freight rail corridors to identify alternatives for the routing of freight trains away from existing urban areas and areas that will serve the growing residential needs in the state of Florida." Gary Sease, a Florida spokesman for CSX, said the company has commissioned a number of studies, some of which were required in the development of regional impact evaluation process. The company is also exploring instituting a "quiet zone" in downtown Lakeland which would limit additional warning noise such whistles and horns at certain times of day. These efforts show CSX's willingness to address community concerns over impacts that an additional four trains a day would have on the downtown area, Sease said. Chamber officials said that its 2,100 member are concerned not just about business impacts, but also possible impacts to the economy, environment, safety, and transportation. At the same time, the chamber said it doesn't believe that all the studies necessary to put together such a project have been completed, and that the FDOT should hold off on appropriating nearly $491 million to the project until such studies are completed. Among the other proposals offered by the chamber include FDOT finding alternatives for the "Super Freight Rail Highway" that would route freight trains away from existing urban areas; the impacts of the deep seaport operations along Tampa Bay and the Gulf coast; and providing full cost figures needed to help mitigate increased train traffic in urban areas. All contents of this site © American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved.

Fasano Has Concerns About CSX Proposal

Click title to link to full story! February 21, 2008 Fasano has concerns about CSX proposal Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, told the Buzz this morning he has "concerns" over the proposed $490-million deal that would have the state buying rail lines from CSX, and over proposed legislation that would exempt CSX from any liability as they operate. Fasano said the DOT is planning to delay more than half a billion in road projects including $123-million in Tampa Bay, and in tight budget times like these smart choices must be made.

$491 Million NAFTA Rail Deal

Whistleblower says it's about carrying cheap China goods Posted: August 21, 2006 1:00 am Eastern © 2008 WorldNetDaily.com A $491 million public-financing deal promoted by Florida Gov. Jeb Bush as a boon to commuters actually paves the way for shipping more cheap goods from China to the North American marketplace, charges a whistleblower. Ex-CSX Transportation employee Dave Nelson told WND the deal in Florida amounts to providing CSXT with a public subsidy. Money from the public purse will position the railroad company as a major freight carrier throughout Florida, transporting cargo containers filled with cheap goods coming into the NAFTA marketplace from China. CSXT is positioned to receive millions in the deal. Under the terms of the agreement, the state of Florida will invest $318 "in partnership with CSXT" to improve the infrastructure and expand capacity on existing train tracks. According to CSXT, the breakdown of how the Florida subsidy will be spent is specified as follows: $198 million for projects on the CSXT rail line between Baldwin to Plant City, referred to as the "S" line; $ 59 million to build five road overpasses in Alachua, Sumter and Marion counties on this line; $ 52 million on other CSXT rail lines around the state; and $? 9 million to build access roads to the new Integrated Logistics Center in Winter Haven ? the mother of all rail yards ? which will be built by CSXT Commuter lines, when opened, will only operate five trips at peak morning and afternoon rush hours, with the commuter trains running again only at two-hour frequency in non-peak hours. At other times, CSXT will use the commuter rail lines for transporting freight. Dave Nelson told WND the Florida subsidy for CSXT reflects a nationwide trend. In 2005, the Bush administration passed through Congress a $286.4 billion transportation bill, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act ? A Legacy for Users. The purpose of the legislation was supposedly to provide funding for federal highways and transit programs. But Nelson told WND the bill was being used to provide a public subsidy for upgrading freight railroads such as CSXT on taxpayer dollars. "This CSXT deal in Florida reflects a national strategy that falls in line with President Bush?s $286 billion transportation spending package for highways and railroads," he said. "What the federal government plans to do is to buy up unused and aging rail lines all across the country and to use taxpayer dollars to pay for upgrading the infrastructure. What is left unsaid is that the railroad freight companies CSX will get priority over mass transit for the use of the new rail lines." Nelson also told WND that CSXT plathat CSXT plans to over-charge the government for upgrading and maintaining rail lines. "CSX will do the maintenance on the rail lines, but state and federal funds will fund the maintenance for CSX," he said. "As I have already proven to the U.S. Department of Transportation, companies like CSX in particular use a form of cost-shifting which permits CSX to take the cost of labor and materials and 'cost-shift' CSX responsibilities over to maintenance, which then will be paid by federal and state tax dollars. Instead of keeping this as a separate entity to improve transportation between two points, the Bush administrations nationally and in Florida are shoving this down the people's throat." Nelson noted that Florida had already voted down the state proposal to build a "Bullet Train? for rapid rail mass transit "because the state couldn?t prove the economics of the deal or how many riders the Bullet Train would actually have." The economic benefit to CSXT is clear, Nelson told WND: "CSXT sells abandoned or obsolete rails to the state government at an astronomical price. Then CSXT gets tax dollars to pay for modernizing the railroad infrastructure and maintaining it afterwards. The result is that CSXT gets priority over the new rail lines, pushing mass transit to a second, very distant position. Cost-shifting is a great deal for CSXT, but a lousy deal for the taxpayers." In 1993, Nelson's allegations that CSXT was over-charging for improvements made to railroad crossings resulted a Federal DOT investigation in conjunction with the Florida Attorney General's Office. To resolve the RICO charges, CSXT made a "voluntary refund" of $2.1 million to 18 states in restitution for overcharges. In 1994, Nelson filed a False Claims Action against CSXT that was settled in 1995 when CSXT offered the U.S. Department of Justice a $5.9 million payment for the overcharges. In 2005, New York Times reporter Walt Bogdanich won a Pulitzer Prize for series of articles entitled "Death on the Tracks," investigating railroad company cover-ups regarding faulty equipment, overcharges and fatal accidents at railroad crossing accidents. Bogdanich's investigation was prompted and advanced by inside information Dave Nelson supplied. Nelson maintains that a primary purpose of SAFETEA-LU Act is to provide a NAFTA infrastructure for moving cheap goods from China into the interior of the U.S. Currently, Dave Nelson, is on leave for a back injury from a stockroom job at Lowes in Florida, working the midnight shift stacking shelves for $9.48 an hour. Nelson said he connected the dots between his railroad experience and what he perceives is the government plan to build NAFTA railroad corridors. "If you go to Lowes you will now see that 75 to 80 percent of all the inventory on the shelves comes from China," he said. "First you have to produce these goods at low cost and China has the lowest possible labor cost using child labor, slave labor, or labor at practically no cost that American workers can?t possibly compete with. So, our government has allowed a huge number of manufacturing jobs to go to China, but then you need to move these goods back to the end-user in the U.S. Then you get into logistics. This involves maritime, trucks, and rails. The goal is to improve the railroad infrastructure to increase the speed freight trains can move through the U.S. The government doesn?t want to tell the U.S. taxpayer that $284 billion in tax dollars are going to be moved into private railroad. So, the government instead argues that the goal is to improve the infrastructure by developing mass transit, just like you see going on in Florida right now." In return for his role in the 1994 False Claims settlement with CSXT, Nelson received a $1.18 million payment. WND called John Long, a special investigative agent with the U.S. DOT in Washington. Long abruptly ended a phone call concerning Nelson's allegations by stating: "We wouldn't have any comment. We?ve investigated Mr. Nelson?s allegations and the case is closed." Still, Long's comment to WND served to verify that an investigation of Nelson?s charges did exist, even if the investigation was now terminated. Even today, Nelson's allegations remain emotionally charged. His allegations concerning CSXT overcharges involve the management of CSXT while John Snow, former U.S. secretary of treasury, was still the CEO of CSXT. Nelson maintained to WND that John Snow was nominated and sworn-in as secretary of the treasury "while he was still under investigation for the allegations I have been making ever since 1993 of what I believe are CSXT overcharges and fraud continuing even today."

Lakeland Nearer to Criticizing State

Click title for full story By Diane Lacey Allen The Ledger LAKELAND The Lakeland City Commission came closer Friday to endorsing a resolution criticizing the state for not having a long-range commuter rail program. The resolution also denounces any action by the state Legislature that uses "high levels" of taxpayer money to support the proposed CSX freight-transfer facility in Winter Haven until there is a comprehensive state and regional analysis. Commissioners are set to vote Monday on the document that warns of fallout from the proposed CSX facility.

No One Asked For An Overpass

Was this statement a serious one? Must a drowning man ask to be saved? Click title for story link. Posted by Bill Rufty on February 14, 2008 1:50:35 PM A CSX official told The Ledger Editorial Board today that the cities of Waldo and Ocala will get overpasses in the wake of increased train traffic from its new freight terminal in Winter Haven, but not Lakeland because "The City of Lakeland never asked ..." It never did, various local officials said, but not necessarily because there was disinterest in running roads over or under the train tracks. "My understanding from the Ocala mayor when he came here last month is that was because Ocala and Waldo were taken care of by the Florida Department of Transportation before Lakeland officials were even notified of the (ILC project and increased trains),'' Lakeland City Commissioner Gow Fields said. "He also told us that the mitigation still wasn't adequate for his city.''

CSX Train Creates Traffic, Safety Issues In Downtown Orlando

This could be anywhere in Polk County!!!

Click title for full story!

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Frustrated drivers are breaking the law just so they can get by a train. The train has been routinely blocking cars and emergency vehicles in downtown Orlando. Drivers are furious and so are emergency workers.

At issue is a railroad crossing at the intersection of South Street and Boone Avenue, just south of Church Street station. Eyewitness News discovered a CSX train often blocks the road for 30 minutes at a time.

Freight Centers Weigh On Residents

Click title for full story Intermodal sites bring economic growth, worries about impact By Mary Ellen Podmolik Special to the Tribune December 9, 2007 Blair Purcell spent his first 28 years of life in LaPorte County, Ind., and after a 40-year absence, he and his wife, Margot, returned to the area nearly two years ago. They expected to live quietly in retirement on 2 1/2 acres in the countryside. But it hasn't exactly worked out that way. For the past six months, the Purcells, along with a handful of others, have organized meetings, launched Web sites and worked the tables at community events, all with the goal of galvanizing opposition to a sprawling 3,000-acre intermodal rail facility proposed for LaPorte's farm fields.

CSX Liability Plan Criticized By Lawmakers

Full story, click title above. Accident Responsibility CSX Liability Plan Criticized By Lawmakers Proposal is linked to sale of tracks to create a commuter rail system around Orlando. By Joe Follick Ledger Tallahassee Bureau TALLAHASSEE A move that could leave taxpayers paying for accidents caused by CSX Transportation on a new passenger rail line drew strong criticism from the state's chief financial officer and lawmakers Wednesday. But even critics said it was not likely to stop the state's $491 million plan to launch commuter rail service in Volusia, Orange and Osceola counties.

Foes of Rail Yard

For full story, click on title Foes of Pinal rail yard find friends at Capitol Bill would require review by state panel Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services Feb. 7, 2008 12:00 AM Foes of a proposed rail yard near Picacho Peak are making another effort to throw legal roadblocks in the path of Union Pacific. New legislation being put forward at the state Capitol is designed to give landowners around the site a chance to battle efforts by the railroad to acquire some state land and construct a 6-mile-long switching yard. Opponents contend it would not only be unsightly but also threaten an underground water supply.

Another CSX Intermodal!!!

For full story, click title Supporters show for Seneca railport January 31, 2008 By Christina Chapman SENECA — As people drove into the parking lot of Seneca Township High School for the Plan Commission’s public hearing on a proposed intermodal park, they were greeted by a big sign stating "I support Seneca I-80 Railport." Speckled throughout the crowd were stickers and signs showing support, a visible change from previous meetings. But the crowd of more than 364 people in the school auditorium also had its naysayers. Many were union workers stating appreciation for closer work, but many others are still in fear of losing their quiet small-town lifestyle.

Jacksonville Commuter Rail

Here we again folks! More state money! The Florida Times-Union February 1, 2008 Commuter rail study under way By DAVID HUNT, The Times-Union The Jacksonville Transportation Authority reached out to urban planners and retired railroad workers Thursday to give suggestions for a possible commuter train system in the region. -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- The exchange between the group and those conducting a roughly $400,000 rail study signified the first meeting of the commuter rail citizens advisory panel. The study, headed by Camp Hill, Pa.-based consultants Gannett Fleming Inc., is expected to conclude by December. "Based on our congestion and the rail system we have now, we'd like to think it's feasible," said James Boyle, regional transportation planner for JTA. "But we need the study to make sure it's feasible." Boyle said the panel of about a dozen members was selected for its insight into Jacksonville's transportation needs. Among the group was Jerry Sullivan, a retired CSX worker who heads the North Florida chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. He said Jacksonville's scattered geography was a chief concern for commuter rail. "When I came here in 1986, the first thing I noticed was downtown was basically dead. Everyone was building their office parks outside of the city," Sullivan said. Other issues include cost effectiveness, parking availability and how to arrange train stations in a way that would shave time for commuters who'd otherwise be driving. The group met for about 90 minutes and plans to meet again in the spring. "This is the right time to be having this discussion," said Tom Hickey, the project manager for Gannett Fleming. The good news for the plan is that Jacksonville has six rail lines, each of them in good shape. The bad news is that the tracks are privately held by CSX, Norfolk Southern and Florida East Coast Railway. Access to the tracks likely would carry a price. An example: Last year the state signed a nearly half-billion dollar contract with CSX to make way for a Central Florida commuter rail network expected to be running in 2010. david.hunt@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4025 This story can be found on Jacksonville.com at http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/020108/met_242544190.shtml.