They cut and cut- yet can’t get below 70%! IMHO, one reason is that the lower levels of the company cover too many expenses up. They run this railroad like a fiefdom, with each Division competing and separate from others. Always “pass the buck” mentality. A by product of this behavior is covering up/lying about train performance. There are trains out there I see everyday that are PSR rigged freight trains that are built way too large and heavy to make a connection with a single crew. Often, it take at least 3 crews to get from A to B. With this, there is a effect of the Division covering up this daily failure by assigning recrews based on short turn symbols, sometimes coding the symbols under pusher symbols or anything but the original train symbol. That way, it doesn’t make that Division responsible for the failure by hiding the true amount of recrews needed. This covers their butts, but in effect blinds the company to true starts and trains that need to be fixed. So they spend money and time but the people at the top don’t ever realize what is happening. So how are you supposed to cut costs and OR when the company is lying to itself about what it is spending to get line over road? NS is a very deceptive company and apparently none more than to itself! While I celebrate the Company failing at every turn (because that is the morale they have beaten into me), I find it stupid that they can’t figure this out themselves. We, the Crews, see this everyday. But we are degenerates and cavemen so God Forbid they listen to us, the people who move their freight and see thru all the Lies!!!
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I do wonder why NS has so many AVP's? That is the alot of savings right there.
That's right about the scanner fraud- they have these monster freight trains pull past scanner while building them in yard then count that as departure. And that makes it impossible for the crews to actually see where the trains are if you are trying to time when you will get called to recrew!
Yep. Got to love NS especially when they pull stunts like, “All trains must leave 100% on time or trainmasters will loose all off days” Trainmasters response, 1. Turn into complete a–hole and 2. Let’s send a train with no cars past the 1st scanner to start the clock as on time than double back to get the cars for a late departure
What other Company rewards a member of the management team caught stealing, to General Foreman of materiel, I swear you can’t make this s*** up, but doles out heavy handed discipline to hourly workers for ticky tack offenses ie missing a PTC departure test, what a complete goat & pony show this place has come to
If they use the same tactics the UP has been using, then you're in for a bumpy ride. The UP wanted 55%, and never came close. Their OR actually went up. Most of it was due to the virus though. Their OR hasn't budged and they're going through more large rounds of layoffs right now. They've gotten rid of 15,000 jobs so far, and its increasing daily.
NS is a T–d- dishonesty is rampant and liars deserve what they get!!
Lying to the investors and customers is committing fraud.
Absolutely correct. I have seen firsthand how they manipulate our time sheets so it appears we are doing jobs that we are not so the foremen look good to the superiors. Never see 60% if they cant be honest.
Outstanding and on point!!! Very well put.
Norfolk Southern is the biggest piece of sh– railroad. They are misogynistic, racist as f— and they lie through their teeth at every turn. I hope they never have a moment's luck.
This is a crime. No different than accounting irregularities and cover ups. Prosecute to the full extent of the law !
"NS lies." This is the best post I have ever seen here on this site. Well said!
It appears the people at the top are so “disconnected” with the reality of running the RR it seems ludicrous to those of us who actually see it operating. As one looks around you will see money foolishly spent in one place and total neglect in another.
Maybe there’s something I’m missing but some of the decisions made are so bizarre and costly that they fly in the face of all reason. It’s as if those making the decisions have no experience or idea of what it takes to maintain and operate this mighty juggernaut of a RR. Perhaps someone else is footing the bill for some of these projects? Government funding maybe? It sometimes appears like the same kind of wasteful spending.
I’m guessing it’s more important to appease the investors with false numbers than it is to actually move freight and face the reality that it cost a specific amount to do it effectively.
Another observation is supervision is made up of mostly people who have little to no experience in the craft. Just a degree in something totally unrelated with this 200+ year old industry.
Over the years I’ve noticed fewer people Who are “well versed” in Railroading being promoted from the ground up. And I believe it’s reflecting negatively in the end product.