Mass. To Acquire Some CSX Rail Assets

Posted Oct 2, 2008> TRANSPORTATION> > Mass. to acquire some CSX rail assets> > > By Susan A. Baird> PBN Web Editor> > BOSTON – A multi-year rail-transportation agreement between the> Commonwealth of Massachusetts and intermodal transportation giant CSX> Corp. “significantly increases options for commuters and lays the> groundwork for improving the flow of product shipments,” state and> company officials said in a statement today.> > The agreement will expand commuter-rail service to Worcester by the> end of the month and help speed completion of the South Coast Rail> project. (READ MORE) Financial details were not disclosed.> > Commuter rail “is an important part of the governor’s statewide> transportation plan to relieve congestion,” Mass. Transportation> Secretary Bernard Cohen said in a statement today. “Reaching> agreement on important terms for four strategic rail assets,> including the CSXT-owned portion of the lines to the South Coast,> moves a top priority – South Coast Rail – one step closer to> reality.”> > The agreement – the product of nearly four years of talks between> CSX and state and federal officials, including the Massachusetts Bay> Transportation Authority (MBTA) – calls for the addition of five> commuter trains to serve Worcester, plus possible additional trains> “as rail capacity is created,” the parties said today. It also> “will facilitate the Patrick-Murray administration’s plan to> extend commuter-rail service to New Bedford and Fall River; provide> the potential for even more commuter service for Worcester; and> create the ability of area companies to ship or receive products on> double-stack rail cars,” helping reduce truck traffic on the> region’s crowded highways.> > “This is an historic day for all of Massachusetts, and most> especially for Worcester and the South Coast,” said Lt. Gov. Timothy> P. Murray, who led the state negotiating team. Joining him for> announcements today at South Station in Boston and Union Station in> Worcester were, among others, U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry, U.S. Rep.> James P. McGovern and CSX Chairman, President and CEO Michael J. Ward.> > Kerry described the pact as “a milestone in the public> transportation history of Massachusetts – a history which, for the> people of Central and Southeastern Massachusetts had been marked by> decades of insufficient rail service.” The deal “is the result of> months of intense negotiations between CSXT and federal and state> officials,” he added, “and it has the potential to provide an> economic boost to the entire commonwealth.”> > “Thanks to our partners, Senator Kerry and Congressman McGovern,> we’ve reached an agreement that increases commuter options and> ultimately could make Worcester the new rail hub of New England,”> said Murray, who has been working to expand regional commuter-rail> service in the state since his tenure as Worcester’s mayor. “We> appreciate CSXT staying at the table and making this agreement a> reality.”> > The “main elements” of the deal, as laid out in today’s> announcement, are:> > • By Oct. 27, the MBTA will extend five Framingham-Boston commuter> trains to Worcester, via CSX Transportation Inc.’s Boston Line.> > At a future date, the commonwealth intends to purchase CSXT’s rights> in the line, “increasing the potential for additional commuter> service, while also taking control of dispatching and maintenance.”> > • As soon as possible, the commonwealth and CSXT will “begin> increasing the vertical clearances of bridges along the railroad main> line between I-495 and the New York state line,” to make it possible> to accommodate double-stack freight trains along the full length of> that line. “The commonwealth will assume responsibility for raising> highway bridges, while CSXT will be responsible for lowering tracks.”> > • By June 2009, Massachusetts will buy CSXT’s New Bedford-Fall> River Line, along with the company’s rights in the Boston Terminal> Running Track and West First Street Yard in South Boston, and the> Grand Junction secondary line from Beacon Park Yard to Cambridge, Mass.> > • To expand commuter-rail capacity over time, the state “is> investigating whether it can help CSXT to relocate the company’s> locomotive service facility out of Boston, in the near term.> Ultimately … CSXT also plans to move its operations out of Beacon> Park,” the parties added. (The sites to which those facilities would> move have yet to be determined.)> > “We salute the vision and perseverance of Massachusetts leaders at> every level of government,” said Ward, the CSX chief executive.> > “The entire nation is recognizing the benefits of freight railroads> to the environment, the economy and traffic conditions on our> highways,” he added. “One train can carry the load of 280 trucks,> and is three to four times more fuel efficient.> > “The Massachusetts plan turns existing freight-rail infrastructure> into a 21st-Century solution for both commuters and businesses.”> > Additional information about transit projects in the Bay State is> available from the Mass. Executive Office of Transportation & Public> Works at www.eot.state.ma.us.> > The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority – established by> state legislation in 1964, to replace the former Metropolitan Transit> Authority (MTA) – traces its history back to the establishment of a> public ferry in 1631. Additional information, including schedules for> MBTA bus, trolley, subway, boat and commuter-rail service, is> available at www.mbta.com.> > CSX Corp., based in Jacksonville, Fla., is a leading provider of> rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck trainload services. It is the> parent of CST Transportation Inc. (CSXT), which took over part of the> Conrail system in 1999. Additional information is available at> www.csx.com.