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Out-Of-This-World!
Why not just have FEC run this?
So they couldn’t find any unemployed railroaders in Florida?
Daniel - it’s not bout finding unemployed railroaders. It’s about finding a qualified railroad - capable of performing the tasks that were required by the contract. Not sure why FEC couldn’t do the job though.
Might be something as simple as Iowa Northern being the low bidder
FEC doesn’t do short-haul or switching. They’re a bridge road and rely on tightly scheduled road freight services. Local services like this would clog up their system, especially with Brightliners running through the area in the not-too-distant future.
Not only they might have been the low bidder but probably only a few that went through the federal procurement process or even aware of the work was out to bid.
Someone in the Iowa Northern office was paying attention when that bid went out! Lol no other way they of all railroads could’ve staged that when the connecting railroad could’ve easily gotten the job!
Philip - as a Florida railroader who has to venture out-of-state for work I am more than familiar with the process and accept it as part of the vocation. Yet one cannot help but dwell on the irony.