Freight rail feels Irene more than ports

Freight rail feels Irene more than ports    Ports and railroads in the direct path of Hurricane Irene last week appear to have dodged major problems, according to damage assessments.
   The Port of Morehead City experienced damage to warehouse doors, the roof of its administrative building and a few minor interruptions with other port structures, and returned to full operations on Tuesday, the North Carolina Port Authority said. The port received the brunt of the storm, which made landfall just a few miles away on Saturday morning.
   The Port of Wilmington was relatively unscathed and began receiving vessels again on Sunday.
   Quick work by the U.S. Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers to inspect waterways for any obstructions to vessel traffic following the storm helped the ports resume service, the port authority said.
   The Port of Virginia in Hampton Roads did not report any significant damage. It said all terminals were open Monday, but said a power outage at Norfolk International Terminal affected the truck gate. To avoid delays, it recommended that containers be delivered to the APMT Terminal in Portsmouth or the empty Portsmouth International Terminal for the time being.
   CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern said work crews have made significant progress restoring freight rail service in storm-affected areas by clearing debris, inspecting tracks and other infrastructure, making repairs, repositioning locomotives moved out of harm’s way, and restoring power.
   CSX said the Mid-Atlantic region is moving closer to full service while more limited operations continue in the Northeast, largely due to washouts of track segments west of Selkirk, N.Y., and on the lines between Albany and New York City, according to a bulletin issued Wednesday afternoon.
   In some areas of the CSX network, generators are still being used to power signals and crossing devices until commercial electricity is restored.
   Intermodal terminals are all open, but intermodal service in the Northeast is still limited. Shipment delays are still occurring as trains are held up or forced to take longer routes.
   Norfolk Southern said operations in North Carolina and Virginia have mostly returned to normal, with a few areas still out of power. High water and power outages also remain on the Delmarva Peninsula near Edgemoor, but trains have begun to move into the area.
   In Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, normal operations have generally been restored, however, some track areas are still under repair. Flooding along the Raritan River has receded, allowing operation of trains into the North Jersey area.
   Repair work on washouts continues in the area around Binghamton, N.Y., impacting Norfolk Southern shipments into areas of New England. An embargo of some shipments in this area will remain in effect until repairs are completed later this week, the railroad said.
   Customers with shipments moving into affected areas should expect delays for the next few days, it cautioned. ‘ Eric Kulisch