STB Plans Hearing on CSX Issues Sept 12 — Impact on Rail Service & Supply Chain

Recommendation: Secure backup lift with at least two alternate carriers, confirm domestic transload or waterborne routings, and hold three days of critical inventory to prevent shipment interruptions when the STB conducts this examination on Sept 12.

STB plans a focused hearing that examines CSX service metrics and carrier policies; CSX operates an eastern U.S. freight network that extends to major ports and inland terminals, so regulatory direction can shift capacity quickly. Register on the STB online docket to track filings and the speaker schedule, download exhibits, and file a short service-impact declaration tied to specific PO numbers and transit-time deltas.

Act either by shifting lanes to a direct competitor or by converting selected flows to waterborne lift where berth openings and transit times match your demand profile; commission a 48-hour audit of current transit performance and transit-cost differentials so procurement can reroute within 24 hours if on-time metrics deteriorate. Negotiate temporary rate corridors and short-term storage terms at nearby domestic hubs while the STB reviews operational data.

Assign one team member with undivided responsibility to monitor the docket, coordinate carrier communications and attend the hearing; expect three speakers representing shippers, labor and CSX and prepare three targeted questions linked to quantifiable delays you previously logged. If you cannot attend in person, join online, submit a concise declarative statement tying delays to dollar impact, and activate contingency lanes within one business day if service thresholds breach your SLA.

STB Sept 12 Hearing on CSX – Immediate Steps for Shippers and Carriers

Notify carriers and counterparties within 48 hours and confirm documentation and release of possession for any units slated to move on CSX corridors.

Shippers: compile a single packet that lists invoice numbers, paid status, agreed pricing terms and destination facility; attach bills of lading, handover timestamps and photographs so that you can produce them during a dispute. Audit most lanes that touch CSX for dwell time changes over the last 30 days and flag the top five that show consecutive delays exceeding 72 hours.

Carriers: open an investigation upon each report of excess dwell and record chain-of-custody entries in the field. Use GPS timestamps plus terminal scans versus manual logs to reconcile gaps. Preserve possession receipts and route diagrams so claims can proceed pursuant to STB rules; assign a claims lead for every ten reported incidents.

Operations plan: map alternative routings into a simple decision tree with diagrams and contact points. Permit interline moves only when interchange agreements are current and the receiving carrier is permitted under contract to accept the shipment. Track moves into and out of each terminal for two consecutive weeks and report exceptions weekly.

Commercial actions: invite counterparties to a joint call within 72 hours to narrow pricing disputes and set short-term interim pricing for shipments that must move. Use a written escalation avenue to the board liaison when settlement talks stall; list the role and contact details for each negotiator and the outcomes you expect from them.

Communications: schedule intervistas with terminal managers and forward field reports to legal and operations. Keep a public log for customers that lists status, expected release dates and whether freight is paid or subject to billing adjustments. Update customers frequently; show which shipments moved and which remain blocked.

Keep records for 180 days and index them so auditors can pull consecutive event chains into a single file. Use this checklist as your operational plan and adjust specific timelines only when another contract term requires otherwise.

How shippers can assess likely service delays on affected corridors

Request a current three-week rolling summary from each carrier that includes daily railcar counts, dwell hours, origin-to-destination transit times and on-time percent for each corridor; use those numbers to flag likely delays within 24 hours.

Flag corridors where car counts ranged above baseline by more than 30% or where average dwell increases by 24–48 hours; expect freight velocity to drop and delays to extend when directional imbalances between origin and destination exceed a ratio of 1.3:1. Separate metrics by commodity – bulk, intermodal and intercity services – because impacts and recovery time differ by train make-up and routing.

Act immediately on the data: schedule one-on-one calls with the carrier and your 3PLs, request named escalation contacts and written remediation timelines to create clear responsabilidad. Order additional railcars or reserve truck capacity for high-priority shipments, shift some volumes to alternate corridors if transit times have trended downward for three consecutive days, and document all carrier responses; if carriers fail to meet agreed timelines despite commitments, file formal objections with the relevant boards o authority and ask them to approve interim enforcement or relief measures.

Monitor continuously: run a daily dashboard that compares the previous week to the current week, tracks weekly on-time rates and raw car counts, and shows whether delays extend beyond terminal limits and into the greater railway network. Use a drone for visual yard counts where access is limited, keep a concise summary for executive teams, and keep having short operational touchpoints so services recover before delays cascade.

Document checklist and deadlines for filing pre-hearing evidence

File pre-hearing evidence by Sept 5 (one week before the Sept 12 hearing); late submissions reduce admissibility and make dispute resolution harder. If you cannot meet that date, notify the STB immediately and state what you will pursue and why, then propose the next concrete date.

Required checklist: signed witness lists with role and contact, sworn declarations and CVs for each witness, Bates-stamped exhibits in searchable PDF, chain-of-custody logs for physical records, crew and shuttle schedules, yards logs and interchange manifests, maintenance records showing carrying capacity and out-of-service dates, invoices and billing disputes, customer complaints and remedies offered, internal policies that govern operations and personnel, and any third-party communications (brokers, shippers, hired consultants). Include a Sypert declaration where Sypert has direct knowledge; label that exhibit clearly.

Document formatting and labeling: submit exhibits as Exhibit A‑001, A‑002, etc.; produce a master index and a loadfile for e-discovery; combine related documents into single PDFs rather than dozens of tiny files to create fewer breaks in review. Ensure each document header shows date produced, custodian, and a short title that meets STB docketing standards.

Evidence of accountability: provide records that show who made operational decisions, including the vice president of operations or other lead managers, plus email chains, directives taken, and personnel assignments. Attach job descriptions for employees who performed critical tasks and identify who was hired or reassigned to meet service needs. If you hire an external broker or vendor to carry out work, include contracts, invoices, and performance reports.

Timeline for responses and motions: motions to exclude exhibits must be filed by Sept 7; rebuttal evidence and new witness statements by Sept 9; final exhibit list and hearing notebook by Sept 10; courtesy hard copies delivered to the hearing room by end of business Sept 11. Stick to these deadlines to keep focus on operations and remedies rather than procedural disputes.

Evidence review and internal approach: run a two-day internal review after compilation to verify that each exhibit meets chain-of-custody, authenticity, and relevance standards. Assign a lead reviewer and a secondary reviewer for quality control, and create a short exception log for any items taken out or redacted and the reason for each redaction.

Items to prioritize for faster adjudication: shuttle performance metrics, on-time interchange records, yards dwell times, personnel shortages tied to specific dates, documented remediation steps already taken, and customer impact statements. Those items speak directly to service and accountability and should appear at the front of the exhibit notebook.

Discovery tips: pursue targeted requests rather than broad dumps; hire a document broker if you have dispersed records across terminals and yards to reduce time and produce fewer duplicative files. Maintain a clear chain of custody for physical records and specify who carried documents between terminals.

Meet-and-confer and final checks: schedule a meet-and-confer week before the hearing to narrow disputed exhibits and agree on stipulations where possible. Document what agreements are taken and file a short joint status report that shows where parties meet and where they do not, so the panel sees where remaining disputes should be addressed at hearing.

Operational adjustments carriers should plan for during the hearing window

First, lock a 7-day operational freeze on noncritical schedule changes and allocate 15% additional locomotive power and 10% more train crews to priority domestic lanes centered on Sept 12. Maintain strict crew rostering for those days, record all crew hours in a shared dashboard, and permit regional managers to swap resources without corporate approval to keep trains moving.

Open short-term agreements with adjacent carriers and terminals: one idea is to sign 30‑day interchange pacts with bnsfs and two midwest shortline partners to add 4 temporary transload points and 6 added yard tracks. Require each participating carrier to provide daily capacity reports and a single-point contact; these steps will allow rapid handoffs and keep high-priority shippers such as dupont on schedule.

Protect box and yard control: restrict nonessential asset moves, extend detention windows by 72 hours for key customers, and implement an added surcharge waiver for shippers who accept alternate routing. Use automated slot allocation to assign the highest-priority loads a higher access tier and publish slot confirmations within 24 hours to reduce dwell.

Allocate contingency funding now: set aside a predefined pool equal to 2–3% of weekly operating expense to cover surge crews, third-party drayage, and short-term lease of locomotives. Request accelerated access to emergency funding lines and document funding requests with projected cost per car and days of coverage.

Follow compliance and legal steps provided by counsel: build a runbook that tracks potential rulings and initiatives from the STB, log scenarios where anticompetitive allegations could arise, and prepare data packets that show workload distribution and remedy options. If rulings already indicate remedies or extended oversight, activate corporate leadership above regional teams to manage communications and preserve competitive access for domestic customers.

Train frontline staff on practical measures: run three 90‑minute briefings before the hearing window, publish a two‑page playbook with clear escalation paths, and run a 24‑hour test of the alternate routing plan to identify possible choke points. These actions make difficult periods measurable and reduce reactive decision-making.

Interpreting STB provisional orders and their short-term service implications

Act immediately: treat the STB provisional order as an operational directive and execute a 48–72 hour mitigation plan focused on restoring scheduled service and protecting customers.

• Legal & compliance – Pursuant to the order, submit an e-filing within 24 hours that identifies the docket number, the affected party, and concrete metrics: hours of delay, number of cars left on line, shipments between terminals, and the remedies you will implement.

• Operational reallocation – Reassign crews and locomotives to expedite priority movements, move empty cars out of congestion points, and defer nonessential investment for 7 days to fund overtime and switching. Implement scheduled surge shifts within 6–12 hours.

• Shipper communication – Contact customers through the established channel within 12 hours with clear delivery windows, alternative routings (for example reroute via orlando or a similar gateway), and options for immediate pickup. Always record acknowledgement and any service commitments.

• Carrier and terminal coordination – Convene a joint call with carriers, terminal officials, and the majority of impacted shippers within 8 hours; set rolling updates every 8–12 hours and assign a single communications lead to reach stakeholders between updates.

• Data capture and monitoring – Start multiple dashboards that log dwell time, line capacity, crew hours, pickups missed, and delivery failures. Use these data for determining whether provisional relief should become permanent or whether lack of compliance persists.

• Documentation for enforcement – Collect affidavits from customers, crew logs, and train-line manifests to support an STB enforcement request pursuant to the rule cited in the order if required. Prepare a concise packet for rapid e-filing.

• Priority service tactics – Create a ranked list of critical movements to move immediately (food, medical, time-sensitive industrial), apply temporary switching priority, and negotiate track windows with terminals to reduce handoff hours.

First 24 hours checklist:

1. Submit e-filing (24 hours) and nominate a single point of contact.
2. Notify customers (within 12 hours) with revised delivery windows and alternate routes.
3. Reassign crews and locomotives (within 6–12 hours) to clear priority trains.
4. Clear yards by moving empties and staging cars for pickup (next 24–48 hours).
5. Start 8–12 hour update cadence with carriers and officials; log decisions left unresolved.

If disputes arise, escalate immediately: file targeted evidence-based requests and leverage the e-filing channel to ensure the STB and all parties reach an enforceable outcome. This approach limits widespread service disruption and provides a data trail for later determining compliance and compensation.

How to subscribe to daily supply chain alerts and customize delivery preferences

Create an account on the alerts portal and initiate a daily supply chain alert subscription: enter company name, phone and physical address or ZIP, verify your email, then confirm a default delivery channel.

Select filters by region and mode: pick northeast, railroading, pipelines and water options, mark certain commodity classes and carriers, and enable only the notices that match your lanes.

Pick delivery frequency and time: choose a single daily digest at a fixed hour or immediate notices for disruptions; set arrival windows and most‑critical thresholds so teams see alerts when ETA slips beyond your tolerance.

Integrate feeds and automation using API keys, webhooks and SFTP exports; these tools extend alerts into your TMS and other operational functions and push order status directly where you need it.

Attach media and context: request incident footage and carrier reports with each notice, retain attachments for several weeks for audit, and flag items that affect competitive bids or infrastructure revitalization projects.

Assign roles and escalation paths so recipients understand required actions, use clear subject prefixes and set confirmation rules; they must acknowledge high‑priority notices within an hour to keep workflows moving.

Add expert sources like intervistas and carrier bulletins to enrich raw information, curate feeds so most alerts remain operationally actionable, and review settings every four weeks to keep preferences aligned with changing lanes and priorities.