CSX Acquisition of Pan Am Railways

At about 20:00 hours today I heard via scanner D2 inform ED-495 to "drop on track 1 at Lowell and return light power to the milling." I haven't heard that train symbol for at least a few years.

For those of you with shipments that move on the Pan Am Southern (PAS) network, now jointly owned by CSX and Norfolk Southern

If the rights to the Blue Meatball go elsewhere, what will the road be named? "Puss N' Hoofs"?

With CSX purchasing PAR what is going to happen with the combined PAR/Keolis MBTA dispatch center at Iron Horse Park that is currently under construction?

Someone said that CSX is required to continue to dispatch the former B&M track in MA as part of the purchase agreement back in the 1970s. If CSX leaves the building, presumably the T/Keolis will take over completely.

South Station "Tower 1" signal system is being rebuilt, to be completed in 2027. I think it is still dispatched by Amtrak out of BOS. Presumably it might be consolidated and taken over by the T in Billerica. But maybe the tower is too important to be remotely managed?

G&W will be taking over the operation of PAS through a new subsidiary Berkshire & Eastern. Not sure what the legal name of the underlying track will be - Berkshire & Eastern, continue to be PanAm Southern, PanAmSystem, or "747 Merger Sub". If I were a betting man, I would assume the legal name would continue to be PanAmSouthern until the partnership gets dissolved.

CSX and B&E dispatchers will be at Iron Horse.

PAS remains the legal name, that is the name of the company who owns the track now. ST (now owned by CSXT) is the current operator and will remain until B&E takes over.

Whoever manages the CSX train log at the Westfield and Chester Live Cams on YouTube indicates a Q426 came east overnight on the B&A (ie 6/2/22 - 6/3/22) led by 4 AC4400 units with ACSES PTC that is destined for Portland. According to discussion on the "CSX Northern New England + G&W Berkshire & Eastern Railfans (Former Pan Am)" FaceBook page , this Q426 should be heading up the Worcester Main later on Friday given CSX sent a Q426 up to Ayer last night.

Also note a W003 geometry train came east to Worcester overnight and is heading up the Worcester main as of 0700 Friday 6/3/22.

Wondering what is going to happen with Mattawamkeag if CP will give CSX the boot and stop hauling the traffic or if CSX will start running to Keag themselves, I would imagine track conditions would need improvements.

CSX geometry train with MEC 5963 and CSX 9969 power EB through CPF 307 Westford at approximately 2:05 pm, passed EDPO with 5 MEC power getting ready to leave Westford on track #2. According to posts on GRS sightings group AYPO (or Q426) with CSX power was ahead of the geometry train.

Q426 with 487/488. They're tied down at Lowell as of 16:15.

Last update had the geo train at HA at 15:54.

CSX's new map on their website (https://www.csx.com/) regarding the PAR takeover seems to show trackage rights on the NBM north of Millinocket. Pan Am does not show any such rights on their system maps. Did they obtain these somehow during negotiations?

Map for reference next posting:

Those are haulage rights, not trackage right, just like they have to SJ.

BandA wrote: ↑Thu Jun 02, 2022 2:13 pm

johnpbarlow wrote: ↑Thu Jun 02, 2022 4:01 am Here's text of what appears to be a letter from CSX to CSX/Pan Am customers that was posted on Trainorders.com -...

Are CSX tariffs higher or lower than PAR's?

Very little traffic moves on "public tariffs" anymore outside of grain and animal feed.

Most Shippers have year long contracts that won't expire until next year.

CSX is going to invest a lot of money. They will get more efficiency, but usually when a larger national company comes in, they expect a higher return on investment, which often leads to price increases. Although with high inflation I imagine even CSX doesn't have tons of pricing power.

Time will tell but not necessarily. CSXT has far more operating efficiencies and materials and fuel will be cheaper due to higher volume.