A road master I knew in the early eighties said there wasn’t any rail frieght service on Christmas Day. I don’t ever recall seeing any frieghts on the 25th of December. Is there any truth to this rumour & is there any other days that trains don’t run like on Good Friday? Inquiring minds want to know.
Railroading is a 365/24/7 kind of bussiness and for the most part does not shut down. At least the class ones. There are probably many shortlines that take the day off though.
The class ones don’t shut down on major holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, but they usually cut service back to only priority trains - UPS, coal, etc.
CC
Really?! I was railfanning the BNSF’s Brainerd Subdivision which is ONLY coal on Christmas Eve during the day, and I saw 0 trains during 15 hours. Usually they operate about 10 trains a day.
From Altamont Press:
BNSF outlines Holiday Operation Plan
The BNSF Railway Company’s Christmas and New Year’s operating plans will focus on meeting customers’ expectations while allowing as many members of Team BNSF as possible to spend time with their families during the holidays.
To the extent possible, carload train service during the holidays will generally operate according to normal schedules, subject to crew availability. Train schedules will be adjusted in some cases on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day to allow employees to spend time with their families. Trains will not operate out of the origination terminals between 06:00 and 14:00, on Christmas Day, Sunday, Dec25, and between 22:00, New Year’s Eve, Saturday, Dec31, and 06:00, Sunday, Jan01.
Since many merchandise unit-train customers plan reduced operations through the holidays, some merchandise unit-train service will be curtailed.
BNSF will continue to operate intermodal trains over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. However, delays of up to 48 hours may occur to destination availabilities due to lighter volumes of traffic and possible train consolidations. Shipments that either originate or arrive at destination Saturday, December 24, through noon on Monday, Jan02, may experience extended destination availabilities of 24 to 48 hours.
Unit coal trains – both loaded and empty – will operate normally over the Christmas holiday. However, BNSF will attempt to keep trains at the crew’s home terminal between 10:00 and 14:00 on Christmas Day, Sunday, Dec25, if capacity exists at the terminal. On New Year’s Eve, Saturday, Dec31, and New Year’s Day, Sunday, Jan01, unit coal trains will operate normally.
Since many non-unit train coal customers plan reduced operations over the holidays, to the extent possible, BNSF plans to minimize the operation of freight trains out of origin terminals.
For unit grain trains, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day are shutt
Here on the Poca.Division we shutdown starting at 3pm on Christamas Eve.We are suppose to stop running trains same time on New Years Eve,and fire back up at 6am on the 2nd.A little story about running trains on Christmas.I was called out one Christmas Eve to take a train to Williamson WVa.Getting to work they told me and my conductor we was to taxi back upon arrival in Williamson.We got to Williamson about 10pm that night,and went to the hotel ! We called and called to try and tell somebody,to no avail.We got called out after midnight (Christmas morning).The dispatcher came on the radio and told us we had the pleasure of being the only train operating on the entire NS system.Now if that was actually so,I doubt it.But anyway,when we got close to Portsmouth Ohio,and tried calling the yardmaster on the radio,we got no answer.And this was before everyone had cell phones.So we came up to Star yard signal (signal that allows you in yard limits),and stopped.We tried getting the Lake side dispatcher to answer,and he wouldn’t answer are call.So we took the train down the main line and stopped at the last place we could stop.Then we heard a faint radio saying “I’m coming to get you, tie everything down”.It was the 3rd trick yardmaster in his personal car.The railroad had forgot to mention to anyone we was still out there and Portsmouth had closed shop.Somebody called this guy to get us off the train.He had to unlock the doors of the yard office to let us in to tie up.That was the last time I ever worked on a Christmas holiday.I had my last vacation this year on Christmas week !
The railroads, as such, may not shut down, however, try to get train an engine service personnel to answer the phone and respond to a call to duty. The only thing that will run with any consistancy is Amtrak.
I saw 4 trains Christmas day and Christmas eve, 2 were mixed freights hat were aprked there from the night of Dec 23 and left Monday morning. the ther 2 were stack trains, one on christmas eve, and the other christmas day.
NS publically announced that train service would be suspended between 11PM Christmas Eve and 11PM Christmas Night…NS has also announced that it would operate on a normal plan on New Years Day.
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QUOTE: Originally posted by chad thomas
From Altamont Press:
BNSF outlines Holiday Operation Plan
The BNSF Railway Company’s Christmas and New Year’s operating plans will focus on meeting customers’ expectations while allowing as many members of Team BNSF as possible to spend time with their families during the holidays.
To the extent possible, carload train service during the holidays will generally operate according to normal schedules, subject to crew availability. Train schedules will be adjusted in some cases on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day to allow employees to spend time with their families. Trains will not operate out of the origination terminals between 06:00 and 14:00, on Christmas Day, Sunday, Dec25, and between 22:00, New Year’s Eve, Saturday, Dec31, and 06:00, Sunday, Jan01.
Since many merchandise unit-train customers plan reduced operations through the holidays, some merchandise unit-train service will be curtailed.
BNSF will continue to operate intermodal trains over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. However, delays of up to 48 hours may occur to destination availabilities due to lighter volumes of traffic and possible train consolidations. Shipments that either originate or arrive at destination Saturday, December 24, through noon on Monday, Jan02, may experience extended destination availabilities of 24 to 48 hours.
Unit coal trains – both loaded and empty – will operate normally over the Christmas holiday. However, BNSF will attempt to keep trains at the crew’s home terminal between 10:00 and 14:00 on Christmas Day, Sunday, Dec25, if capacity exists at the terminal. On New Year’s Eve, Saturday, Dec31, and New Year’s Day, Sunday, Jan01, unit coal trains will operate normally.
Since many non-unit train coal customers plan reduced operations over the holidays, to the extent possible, BNSF plans to minimize the operation of freight trains out of origin terminals.
What do you mean, If that phone rings and I am not laid off for some reason, I will get a little present that the RR refers to as investigation. For us answering the phone is not optional.
What bridge do you have and how much do you want for it.[:D]
What you did not say is probably more important, with as strong of feelings about the duty of a trainman you have, I am sure they would be interesting. - PL
Most yards on the 25th will be shut down or working w/a skelton crew. Locals, rd switchers are also off. Most mainline mainfest frts will also not run untin atleast later into the evening.
Its a little one you probably havn’t heard of called the Brooklyn Bridge…I was asking $10,500.00 and that includes all toll rights and Christmas lights that have been installed. Sold as is. No refunds. I will e-mail you with all payable info.
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What you did not say is probably more important, with as strong of feelings about the duty of a trainman you have, I am sure they would be interesting. - PL
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I have alot of really nice things to say about crew planning.
What you did not say is probably more important, with as strong of feelings about the duty of a trainman you have, I am sure they would be interesting. - PL
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I have alot of really nice things to say about crew planning.
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Well said, I would like to hear more, at your pleasure of course. - PL