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Re: No Crews?
Author: SP5103
Date: 09-30-2014 - 16:38
Canadian Pacific, at least on the Soo Lines, is also short on crews and is actively recruiting experienced and new hire conductors.
BNSF and CP/Soo have the additional issue of trying to hire in the boom areas with wages and working conditions that cannot compete with other local wages. Not to mention the lack of affordable or sometimes any housing.
Years ago, when traffic boomed the railroads usually had some experienced brakeman to promote to conductor, and firemen to engineers. Now they can only hire conductors, have to train and qualify them, and then retrain and promote them to engineer. The railroads have also torn out any "surplus" yard tracks, sidings or even entire routes. There is very little excess capacity left in the rail industry, and it now takes way too long to react to major traffic changes.
The pennies, nickels and dimes the railroads have scrimped and saved for their investors may now begin costing them many dollars. Congestion is costly, but the only solutions available are going to cost some huge dollars.
Maybe they should just follow UP's idea - it looks like they are playing with monster eastbounds across N. Oregon and S. Idaho - not sure what the justification is.
One thing for sure, the railroad industry may melt down in the NW and Northern Plains this winter, and I am betting we will not even recognize railroading in five years.
BNSF and CP/Soo have the additional issue of trying to hire in the boom areas with wages and working conditions that cannot compete with other local wages. Not to mention the lack of affordable or sometimes any housing.
Years ago, when traffic boomed the railroads usually had some experienced brakeman to promote to conductor, and firemen to engineers. Now they can only hire conductors, have to train and qualify them, and then retrain and promote them to engineer. The railroads have also torn out any "surplus" yard tracks, sidings or even entire routes. There is very little excess capacity left in the rail industry, and it now takes way too long to react to major traffic changes.
The pennies, nickels and dimes the railroads have scrimped and saved for their investors may now begin costing them many dollars. Congestion is costly, but the only solutions available are going to cost some huge dollars.
Maybe they should just follow UP's idea - it looks like they are playing with monster eastbounds across N. Oregon and S. Idaho - not sure what the justification is.
One thing for sure, the railroad industry may melt down in the NW and Northern Plains this winter, and I am betting we will not even recognize railroading in five years.
