VHSR Luncheon Update

[neroden]

The takeaway: With CSX, don't assume malice. Malice assumes they know what they're doing.

Good old incompetence, then. Yeeesh. Yet more reason to buy the tracks out from under 'em.
... I should say that my family were long-time stockholders of C&O, Chessie System, and CSX. SeaLand basically invented intermodal, and Chessie bought SeaLand, which was a great success. There came a point, just after intermodal really started *booming*, when the management decided to sell off SeaLand to Maersk. At that point I got suspicious that the management didn't know what they were doing, and sold my stock. Selling off the booming business segment? Really?

 

[afigg]

(3) Also in this vein, it turns out that the bad handling of Amtrak in VA sort of isn't CSX's fault. There's a major lack of crossovers along the southern end of the RF&P. CSX is very loath to put trains on the "wrong way" track for too long (Amtrak or freight, doesn't matter) and the result is that you get traffic jams on the way into RVR. Up in NOVA, the problem is even more unusual: VRE pays CSX more for access and/or has bigger handling bonuses, so guess who gets priority over whom?

The takeaway: With CSX, don't assume malice. Malice assumes they know what they're doing.

Thanks for the updates. As for the lack of crossovers on the RF&P, only if there was a state department that has extra funds available to pay to install a couple of crossovers.

Of course, adding a crossover or two may be part of the $82 million budgeted for extending 2 trains to Norfolk.

As for malice, true. Never assume malice or intent when ignorance, indifference, or incompetence is as good an explanation. A variant of Occam's razor if you will.

 

[neroden]

I used to try to assume incompetence rather than malice. Turns out most people are *far* more insulted if you call them incompetent than if you call them malicious, though... :huh:

 

[edjbox]

Any detailed map of the virginian railway the SEHSR could use in the future? From what I'm looking right now on google maps unless a parallel track is built, the new line would merge with the CSX line near the kangaroo express station and al Rudd parts area

 

[Anderson]

It won't merge. The lines ran immediately parallel to one another through Suffolk; you could probably repurpose the SAL depot, actually, since the two lines run on opposite sides of the building.

 

[edjbox]

Thanks for the map. Still it looks like the v line would have to cross the CSX line before the station.

Also, are they trying to restore the V line all the way to central virginia or just to the N&W line west of Suffolk?

 

[Anderson]

Thanks for the map. Still it looks like the v line would have to cross the CSX line before the station.

Also, are they trying to restore the V line all the way to central virginia or just to the N&W line west of Suffolk?

Apologies for the belated response. My understanding is that the work is just to the N&W line west of Suffolk (since I think they want to meet with CSX as far north as possible and avoid the more southerly routing that I believe the Virginian followed).