Here is a 21-page pdf of Mayo addressing the STB about their concerns. What Mayo is asking for is listed on page 20. It is interesting to note that Mayo bolsters their position by pointing out that they were in Rochester prior to DM&E.
As a condition of the Canadian Pacific’s acquisition, Mayo Clinic today requested the STB require specific mitigation for Rochester, including:
Regulatory/contractual speed limits on local hazardous materials traffic.
Pre-notification for Rochester emergency services of hazmat cargo.
Whistle-free crossings for non-grade separated road crossings.
§ Increased inspection and installation of wayside detectors, such as hot box/loose wheel detectors, to the west and east of Rochester to provide timely warning of potential problems prior to entering Rochester city limits.
Fencing for bike paths and pedestrian crossings and sound barriers.
§ Consultation on how best to minimize project-related impacts to Mayo Clinic, including limited transportation of hazardous materials through Rochester.
§ Multiple grade separations for specific in-city road crossings. These grade separated crossings should be designed and located to facilitate the movement of emergency vehicles to and from me
What Mayo and Rochester (MN, not NY!!!) want is for the railroad to go, “POOF,” and vanish.
As for Mayo having been there first, I’ll wager that the tracks were there first. If they hadn’t been, all those sick folks from other places would never have been able to get to Rochester to give Mayo its early reputation. A simple change in corporate ownership does not change the physical reality of the existing plant.
As for me, if Mayo (and Rochester) were to go, “POOF,” and vanish, the only way I’d notice the difference would be if somebody used a nuke to accomplish it and I had to take precautions against fallout.
Actually, this looks like the only potential deal breaker to me. The rest look like things that could be worked out. Although I don’t understand the idea of voluntary contractual limitations, CP could show how willing they are to be flexible, and limit the number of trains to say, 100 per day.[swg]
Will never happen they get all those conditions approved to the deal. One simple clause called the Interstate Commecre Clause will prevent the CP from ever being forced to limit the number of trains through a town considering that there is no other way to the other towns on the other side of Rochestor that the DM&E serves. Unless CP goes to the Mayo Clinic and the City of Rochestor and says you want us out of downtown so bad YOU PAY FOR ALL THE CONSTRUCTION OF A BYPASS OUT AROUND YOUR TOWN TO OUR SPECS. BTW the bill for that will be 200 Million all up front and no bonds or loans allowed.
So if I understand this, Mayo is asking the STB to enforce these demands on CP as a condition of the sale of DM&E to CP. These demands don’t seem like that big of a deal considering all the hullabaloo that has transpired over this issue. I think they are going to make peace and the trains will roll through Rochester on a very attractive, new piece of railroad. CP will probably be relieved to hear that this is all Mayo wants. In fact CP will probably acquiesce to the demands before the STB even decides on them.
I think demanding that CP limit the number of trains is a throwaway item for negotiating purposes.
I really don’t see how one city could effectively limit the number of trains (commerce) going through its town and put a limited but functioning chokehold on goods and especially coal (energy source) going to other towns and businesses. Businesses in other towns need goods that the DM&E can haul. Other towns/cities/counties/states bring in more tax revenue from the goods and services provided by what DM&E hauls. What if Owatonna didn’t like some cleaning chemicals going through its town, destined for Rochester Public Utilities power plant? This could go on and on to where every little whining town and business next to a railroad is limiting commerce going to other businesses next to or enroute to another business. Really if there was some agreed limit to the number of trains going through town, DM&E could just make them all 220 car trains going 10mph with extra units mid train. About 12 minutes blocking each crossing. Oh what fun that would be.
With all their brainpower the doctors at the Mayo Clinic should invent a flying train.
CP seems in better shape to achieve their merger than CN does with EJE.
The local communities are putting up a pretty good stand against CN. I just read that a park district is refusing to sell a parcel of land to CN used for connection. Not sure where it is.
How do you interpret that? does that mean grade seperation is an expected part of the project, and all crossings not converted into elevations are to be whistle free, or just that all existing crossings are to become whistle free?
I think they are calling for some number of crossings to be made grade-separated, and the ones that are not separated to be whistle-free.
This is one of their demands:
Multiple grade separations for specific in-city road crossings. These grade separated crossings should be designed and located to facilitate the movement of emergency vehicles to and from medical facilities providing emergency services in Rochester, including Saint Marys Hospital and Rochester Methodist Hospital, which are both Mayo Clinic hospitals.
The RR can not be lowered any simply because of the WATERTABLE in the city and the Streets they are screaming about can not be raised to go over the tracks unless the grade is 15%. Should be interesting to see the design they come up with to do what is needed.
They probably cannot limit the number of trains, but they can demand it. In their mind, it is CP’s concession to Mayo for Mayo allowing the railroad to be upgraded and remain in Rochester. Although, as Murphy Siding has pointed out, the demand seems a little wishy-washy. Mayo has not stipulated the number of trains that they would accept. It may just be that Mayo wants assurance that there is some upward limit on CP’s operation through town. So the number of trains acceptable to Mayo may be high enough to cover the entire scope of CP’s planned upgrade.
Mayo can demand anything they want, but CP is in the driver’s seat. However that does not prevent CP from letting Mayo drive.
Would it be possible, for CP to sell part of the rail line back to DM&E? If, for example, CP owned all the line, except 10 miles either side of Rochester, and let DM&E own and run that 20 miles. Would Rochester be stuck with the DM&E status quo, and CP be somewhat immune from Rochester’s demands?
Considering that a predecessor RR of the CNW was the first thing into Rochestor and then the Mayo Brothers used the RR to build the clinic afterwards SORRY I do not buy revised history there. Yes they were there ahead of the DM&E but NOT THE CN&W which sold the line to the DM&E and the CP will point that little fact out in any hearing or rebuttal to that fact.
I think you are right that Mayo is arguing they were there first, based on the technicality that they were there before DM&E. Wasn’t C&NW originally built as the Winona & St. Peter around 1870? I do not know when Mayo arrived. However, Mayo can argue that the railroad they moved in next to in the beginning was a quaint, little charm, and now it will morph into an intimidated industrial converyor belt, vastly larger in scope. I think that would be a far better argument than arguing that they were there first, especially since that argument can be so easily shot down.
It will be interesting to learn the scope of those grade separations that they want.
Why can’t CP demand that Mayo only treat 100 patients a day to minimize the number disturbed by passing trains?
Further, CP should negotiate with Mayo so that Mayo voluntarily agrees to treat only slightly sick persons so that Mayo will not be forced to use sensitive diagnostic equipment to treat them.