Posted on 02/18/2020 3:00:57 PM PST by buckalfa
ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ7)-- Norfolk Southern has announced the closure of its Roanoke Distribution Center, and says work associated with its Roanoke Locomotive Shop (East End) will move to Altoona, Pennsylvania.
The plan is for employees at the Roanoke Distribution Center to continue working through about April 18, 2020, and those at the Roanoke Locomotive Shop will work until about May 18, 2020.
The company says all roughly 85 mechanical workers will be offered the opportunity to relocate to the Juniata Locomotive Shop and continue their employment with Norfolk Southern. Nineteen clerical positions are being eliminated.
The company says it will work with affected employees to provide relocation benefits to those who choose to relocate. Furloughed clerical employees will have the opportunity to apply for available positions elsewhere on the NS system.
This new round of changes comes in addition to 175 local furloughs in 2019 and 67 in January.
According to a company statement, "This difficult but necessary decision reflects the importance of ensuring the company maintains the right mix of people and facilities, in the right locations, to deliver exceptional customer service. This decision follows a 48% decline in coal tons shipped since 2008. Norfolk Southern also has seen a 22% reduction in our locomotive fleet since late 2018, reducing the volume of locomotive maintenance and repair required to operate safely."
The company says it will continue its presence and operations in Roanoke, employing more than 650 people in the Roanoke Valley.
Norfolk Southern says it experienced a 48% decline in coal tons shipped since 2008, and further declines are expected. Norfolk Southern also has seen a 22% reduction in its locomotive fleet since late 2018, reducing the volume of locomotive maintenance and repair required to operate safely.
According to a statement, "As NS continues to evaluate its operations and network, the company determined it could no longer support two separate heavy-repair locomotive facilities. Norfolk Southern determined that the most appropriate location on its network for its major locomotive facility is the Juniata Locomotive Shop in Altoona, Pennsylvania."
Altoona is a nice town. The county voted 71% of D.J. Trump in 2016.
They are also moving their Norfolk, VA headquarters to Charlotte, NC to consolidate the two sites.
And for decades Roanoke was where the
N&W has its HQ and Steam locomotive shops
Oh, well, Bloomberg would say these “procees” jobs can be replaced in No. Virginia with some more career lobbyist for the deep state. After all, the lobbyist require more gray matter. He could teach anyone to be a mechanic.
Their headquarters is moving to Atlanta, Georgia. The new building is under construction in Midtown.
I wonder where number 611 will be kept.
611 is splitting time between Virginia transportation
museum In Roanoke, and Spencer NC where
it gets maintenance.
Unfortunately Amtrack is preventing it from
Excursions after it was restored to working
Condition
I
Sometime around 1990 give or take, I photographed it passing through Ridgecrest, then drove down to Old Fort and got it again. This time from a bridge overpass.
It appeared out of the woods on a curve. I just put the camera on auto and took the whole roll before it passed under.
Surprisingly I was the only person there in a great view.
It makes me warm and fuzzy when businesses move out of communist states.
Norfolk Southern is adapting to market changes and its stock continues to soar. But sadly for Roanoke, its fixed railroad facilities are tied to the Appalachian coalfields that NS is diversifying away from. Good for NS, but a new challenge for the beautiful Roanoke Valley. It will work out in time.
NorfolkSouthern is a big railroad but I believe Union Pacific might buy it in 2020. If that happens, Warren Buffet’s Railroad (BNSF) will buy CSX and CP will buy KCS..
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