Read they are tripling service to three times a week and reducing transit times to 1.4 days. Does this mean they have finally retracked the ex-SP branch meant to take their trains off Sunset Route congestion and shorten the distance?
Not yet- the KCS has just begun work on the river bridge at Wharton, which is a major span on the line. The KCS has completed reconstruction on the Rosenberg-Wharton section and are now concentrating on the section from Wharton south. Track clearing and bridge rebuilding is still in process there. The intermodal ramp at Kendleton had a few test trains run in and out of it this month and when I went there on Monday they had 55 empty cars set out, even though the place isn’t finished yet.
No time line has been given for completion of the reconstruction yet- but they’re getting closer!
So are the imporved transit times the result of improved UP dispatching? Is this portion of the Sunset double-tracked already? Or has reduced UP business freed up the line and made it more fluid?
I think it’s more likely that the increase in transit time is just the result of the train running more frequently- which drops dwell time of cars waiting at the PTRA or Laredo for a once a week train. Instead of a car sitting an average of 4 days in the yard to move, now with service every other day the cars will only wait a day or so. The UP Sunset Route is not double track here- and UP train frequency really hasn’t dropped off all that much- keep in mind that the BNSF also has trains operating on the Houston- San Antonio segment of the Sunset Route.
I have heard that KCS will start a dedicacated intermodal train betweek Kanas City and TX sometime 2nd quarter this yer. Currently this intermodal lane moves via manafest train