CPF66 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 29, 2024 7:27 pm
CSX is years away from being able to effectively move intermodal. ...As for the destinations who knows, originally it was mentioned that CSX was going to try and compete with CP to move intermodal to Chicago. Now the common idea is they are going to use SJ to ship stuff up and down the east coast, which doesn't make much sense when there are ports undercapacity elsewhere on the east coast. At the end of the day, like NHV 669 said, they will move it wherever if they get paid.
Mr. CPF, I'd like to think that Chessie (cats are considerably smarter, but hardly as loyal, as are dogs) did not give up any portion of her Fancy Feast and settle for the stuff at a dollar store, to continue handling the "captive" ten cars a week you note that are interchanged at Northern Maine Junction. She had to know that the MEC was a broken-down road largely comprised of FRA Class 1 (B&M? thank you very much, passenger train agencies, for the Class 4) and that there was high value traffic to be handled. She knew that Searsport was "owned" by CPKC, just as much Portland was largely hers (other guy GT; guess CN again nowadays). So where the high value traffic? Saint John plus maybe convincing the likes of Jeff and Wally World to place some warehouses (whoops, "Distribution Centers") in Maine with rail access.
Of course, we must not lose sight that times have changed for the maritime industry. After the COVID era surge, they are now laying up vessels, and the extra cost, owing to the Middle East hostilities, find that they must now route vessels around the Cape of Good Hope rather than through the Suez Canal hence adding some three weeks of sailing time Asia to NA East Coast. So it's no longer, again as you noted, "get me a berth, any berth" as it was during COVID; the maritime industry has their choice of ports again.
The challenge for Saint John, in addition to scheduling their sailings so that traversing the Bay of Fundy within, say, an hour of the ebb or flood tides, is that the port is so efficient, and their labor costs are somewhat less than in the States, so that they can command more callings. Reliable, competitive, rail routings are needed to enhance that environment.
Mr. Cowford, are you prepared to step up and comment?