Renewal of NYA's Franchise.

I've read that NYA started operations in May, 1997 for an initial 20 year term. Now that we're heading into 2016, I ask: Does any one know what the prospects are of them continuing after May , 2017? Also, what kind of volume did they transport in 2015?

There's much more competition now from established shortline operators, so hopefully LIRR will see vigorous competition for the franchise, and better service for remote areas.

NY&A has also built up a bit more traffic than 20 years ago, so it is all the more attractive an enterprise for other operators to bid on. The MSW contracts are a guaranteed revenue stream, C&D + Aggregate moves are significantly more than before NY&A.

Unfortunately for NY&A, there's no guarantees of anything from the MTA, other than that the MTA will try to get the best deal they can get. I imagine they will put out an RFP and the board will decide. How much NY&A's track record factors in is anyone's guess.

At the end of the day, there's one thing the MTA wants: Money.

It may of have changed, but I believe NYAR has first right to refusal for another 10 years for a 30 year lease altogether.

Original deal was for a 20 year concession with an option for an additional 10 years. What clauses there are to trigger the option I am not sure about.

What I would like to know is, if LIRR decides not to renew the lease next year, would they keep all the nya transportation employees, or would they get rid of them and bring in the new railroad with an entirely different management and transportation staff?

The employees work for NYA, so they would loose their job, a new company probably would hire them as first preference because of qualifications and experience.
under what conditions would be whatever new operator and union agree on.

It could be pretty disastrous to not hire existing employees... Just a few days of conrail-breakup style confusion and/or backups would lead to NYC officials being very pissed at the mounting piles of trash. Within a week it would be ugly. A week after that the media might catch on, and at some point DSNY might have to take longer with trash removal (trucking it direct to somewhere in NJ?) or outright stop collecting the trash because there would be nowhere for it to go. The new operator would literally be dead and buried under NYC's unrelenting tide of garbage.

So in other words they would only get rid of management, but keep all the transportation guys then.

Never bet on all labor being re-rolled under a new vendor.

It's an opportunity to clean out deadwood. The wage may well be less. The benefits may well be less.

The award may be on cost only, or it may be on "best value." Unless you have access to the contract papers under governmental transparency, you won't know until after the award gets made and the new vendor starts work.

This story from Newsday today (may be behind paywall) seems to indicate that NYAR exercised the option to renew their franchise in June.

New York and Atlantic — a subsidiary of Chicago-based Anacostia Rail Holdings — has operated on LIRR tracks since 1997, when the two railroads reached an agreement under which NYAR would pay at least $12.8 million over 20 years to take over freight operations from the LIRR.
@Newsday
MTA officials said NYAR in June exercised its option to extend by a decade its lease, which could be automatically renewed, without a vote by the MTA Board, as long as the freight company met some basic performance benchmarks.

The story basically concerns the safety record of NYAR, in particular a number of recent mishaps as well somewhat poor certification and training of employees. Alas, they also interviewed some fools from CURES and printed their droning on about nothing.

Pay wall

Mary still thinks 100+ car oil trains are coming to LI I'm sure...

If I remember right the performance metrics were pretty basic to lure more bidders. Shame that NY&A has dropped the ball lately on safety.

Has the PA NY/NJ shown any interest in obtaining rights on the Bay Ridge Branch which would allow them access from NJ to Fresh Ponds as a way to possibly increase their car float operation?

Don't see why they would bother, pretty sure nya handles those cars in a timely manner. A 4th RR in fresh pond might make moves more complicated... (5th RR actually, if LIRR still drops off / picks up their own occasional MOW ties and ballast)

How many customers does NY&A service between Fremont and Bay Ridge?
Bay Ridge is the current interchange to the NYNJ and NYCTA(South Brooklyn RY).