09-21-2010, 04:56 PM
Regarding Soo Line specifically. I helped the Labor Relations group set up their data analysis center with about a dozen of the fastest microcomputers on the market at that time, and statistical analysis softwares.
The labor rules for railroads haven't changed since the mid 1800's. Each train is required to have an Engineer, a backup engineer, a fireman (to shovel coal into the boiler), two brakemen (one for the left side, and one for the right side), and a conductor (to punch tickets, and handle freight waybills). So, a six man crew to drive a freight train, that barely requires an engineer anymore. The waybills are electronic, so no need for the conductor. The power plant is diesel electric, so no need for a fireman, and the brakes are automatic air brakes, so no need for two men to pull levers anymore. Beyond that, these 6 workers are only allowed to travel 100 miles per shift (12 hours per day, with anything over 8 being paid at 1.5, unless its a holiday, then its 2x), and then there are about 150 different add on charges they get paid for (backing up the train, going up a hill, coupling or uncoupling a car, getting off and switching a track manually). If you send two crews on the train, so that you can go 200 miles in that day, you need to dead head (pay extra) them to ride along but not be working. Often, in order to get the crew to a train after their 100 miles of work, they needed to have a taxi service to deliver the fresh crew to the train to keep it moving. Each T&E employee typically costs about $80K to $100K in salary, plus another $80 to $100K in additional pay. The unions have stalwartly refused to change any of these rules, making trains effectively obsolete by union rules rather than their utility.
Before deregulation, railroads were given a regional monopoly, and freight rates would be calculated from junction to junction. If you started on one railroad, crossed 3, and ended on a fifth one, the roads would calculate the end to end cost and then divide it up among the 5 roads. In this business model, having as much track as possible maximized your ability to get customers. The maintenance cost for all the rail repairs added to the freight costs. Lo, and behold, trucking over interstate highways was faster and cheaper.
After deregulation, main lines were the only ones profitable, and Soo Line sold off or abandoned all their track > 100 miles from their mainline, and each junction off the mainline with junctions on the mainline being mostly 100 miles apart.
How would we every manage to implement high speed rail, with trains traveling 200mph? You'd need to switch the 6 member crew every 30 minutes. How would this ever be profitable?
The labor rules for railroads haven't changed since the mid 1800's. Each train is required to have an Engineer, a backup engineer, a fireman (to shovel coal into the boiler), two brakemen (one for the left side, and one for the right side), and a conductor (to punch tickets, and handle freight waybills). So, a six man crew to drive a freight train, that barely requires an engineer anymore. The waybills are electronic, so no need for the conductor. The power plant is diesel electric, so no need for a fireman, and the brakes are automatic air brakes, so no need for two men to pull levers anymore. Beyond that, these 6 workers are only allowed to travel 100 miles per shift (12 hours per day, with anything over 8 being paid at 1.5, unless its a holiday, then its 2x), and then there are about 150 different add on charges they get paid for (backing up the train, going up a hill, coupling or uncoupling a car, getting off and switching a track manually). If you send two crews on the train, so that you can go 200 miles in that day, you need to dead head (pay extra) them to ride along but not be working. Often, in order to get the crew to a train after their 100 miles of work, they needed to have a taxi service to deliver the fresh crew to the train to keep it moving. Each T&E employee typically costs about $80K to $100K in salary, plus another $80 to $100K in additional pay. The unions have stalwartly refused to change any of these rules, making trains effectively obsolete by union rules rather than their utility.
Before deregulation, railroads were given a regional monopoly, and freight rates would be calculated from junction to junction. If you started on one railroad, crossed 3, and ended on a fifth one, the roads would calculate the end to end cost and then divide it up among the 5 roads. In this business model, having as much track as possible maximized your ability to get customers. The maintenance cost for all the rail repairs added to the freight costs. Lo, and behold, trucking over interstate highways was faster and cheaper.
After deregulation, main lines were the only ones profitable, and Soo Line sold off or abandoned all their track > 100 miles from their mainline, and each junction off the mainline with junctions on the mainline being mostly 100 miles apart.
How would we every manage to implement high speed rail, with trains traveling 200mph? You'd need to switch the 6 member crew every 30 minutes. How would this ever be profitable?
”There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." - Hamlet (1.5.167-8), Hamlet to Horatio.
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