Union Pacific is shutting down most of its intermodal network effective 8am Tuesday for 72 hours

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Tue Feb 16, 2021, 12:40 PM - Edit history (1)

{edited to add the full disclosure that I own shares of Union Pacific}

Joe Weisenthal Retweeted

BREAKING NEWS:
@UnionPacific
shutting down most of its intermodal network effective 8am Tuesday for 72 hours because of snow and ice in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest and Southern Plains. There are exceptions — see attached notice sent to customers this evening.
@JOC_Updates

Link to tweet

[Kali]

1. wow

[yonder]

2. Unless it's SOP, this is bigger than it seems.

I'd expect some sort of economic cascading effect as a result.

[elleng]

4. 72 hours, effect of course, but not long-lasting.

[DonaldsRump]

3. Interesting. I didn't realize rail could be this affected by weather. n/t

[mahatmakanejeeves]

7. Lot of things.

Railyards fill up with snow. Can't make up trains, so nothing goes in or out.

Turnouts (switches) fill up with snow, if it's coming down so fast the heaters can't keep up with it. Can't switch trains from one track to another or to a diverging route.

Rails get brittle when it gets cold. They snap; have to be repaired.

Snow plows have to be sent to keep the rails cleared.

Ice makes rails slippery.

Bad visibility makes signals and other things hard to see. Can't see oncoming trains until they're right on you.

So cold the workers slow down. Bulky clothes give them less agility. Bodily functions take longer. Have to take breaks to warm up.

Air hoses leak extensively. Restoring pressure to brake lines takes longer than during warm weather.

Some roadside equipment has solar panels. Overcast conditions cause them to work at diminished performance.

Snow-laden tree branches fall on right of way. Snow falls on right of way.

Snow clogs air blowers that cool electrical equipment, such as traction motors. Snow blocks radiators, so prime movers (the diesel engines inside the locomotives) aren't properly cooled.

Probably more. Just what I can think of now.

[elleng]

8. and this is INTERMODAL, (TOFC,

trailers on flat cars etc, not EVERYTHING.)

[mahatmakanejeeves]

9. High winds can blow them over. NT

Last edited Wed Feb 17, 2021, 07:58 AM - Edit history (1)

{edit: "blow," not "blown"}

[elleng]

5. Thanks, for info.

(full disclosure, I used to REGULATE UP, and BNSF, and ATSF, etc etc etc. THOSE were the days!)

BN doing the same?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. Don't know. Warren hasn't called.

Ari Ashe follows that stuff for the Journal of Commerce. I can check Trainorders.