As some states move toward lifting business restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Class I railroads are in no rush to have their employees return to headquarters.
Texas, Florida, and Georgia — home to BNSF Railway, CSX Transportation, and Norfolk Southern, respectively — are among the first states easing some pandemic-related restrictions that will allow more non-essential businesses to open.
The rail industry, like others, has virtually emptied out office buildings during the pandemic, and has as many employees working from home as possible to help slow the spread of the virus and ensure continuous operations.
BNSF, based in Fort Worth, expects to continue its social distancing policies through at least the middle of May.
“COVID-19 remains a significant public health challenge, and it’s important for those who can work remotely to continue doing so. This not only reduces the risk of exposure to those working remotely, but also limits exposure to those who cannot work remotely,” BNSF spokeswoman Amy Casas says. “Based on the current situation and available information, BNSF does not expect those currently working off-site will be able to return to our headquarters until mid-May at the earliest, and this could extend longer.”
The railroad does not yet have a formal plan for remote workers to return to headquarters.
CSX, based in Jacksonville, continues to evaluate the COVID-19 situation.
“As the national conversation turns toward incremental reopening of the economy, we are prepared to respond when traffic volumes begin to recover and stay-at-home orders begin to ease,” a railroad spokesman says. “Although most of our employees have been able to report to work as usual, we are carefully developing plans to reopen our offices. As government regulations allow, we will take a measured approach to reopening while ensuring the safety of our employees. Our pandemic response task force is constantly monitoring the situation and will oversee the process as it unfolds across our system.”
The railroad continues to rely solely on its consolidated dispatching center in Jacksonville, but has an alternate dispatching site set up in Jacksonville as a precautionary measure.
Norfolk Southern is in the process of relocating its headquarters to Atlanta, where a new headquarters building is under construction. It has moved several departments from Norfolk, Va., to Atlanta, where its operations department has long been based and its network operations center opened in 2018.
The railroad did not respond to a request for comment. Previously, NS officials have said they continue to follow recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is lifting restrictions today on barber shops, gyms, tattoo parlors, and bowling alleys and on Monday will permit dine-in restaurants and movie theaters to reopen. All are subject to various social distancing precautions, but medical experts have warned that reopening too soon will help the virus spread.
I’m sure the dispatchers are working on site. The panels displaying the entire district are still quite large. It would be unsafe to have a dispatcher working alone.
Chicken Adoption.
Construction and Drive-In Theaters?
JOHN – Thanks for the reply – now I understand better. Especially in your third paragraph where you explained why Boeing didn’t move to NoVa like all the other defense industries.
FWIW if you’re waiting for your train at either Chicago Union Station or Ogilvie, Boeing has a gift shop at its nearby headquarters. Or at least this was the case 10 or 15 years ago when I visited.
@Charles Landey sez: “I still haven’t figured out why Boeing 15 or 20 years ago moved its HQ from Washington State to Illinois of all places.”
Because Boeing is no longer just commercial airplanes. They are a defense outfit as well as aerospace. They have a presence that is global now with facilities across the US.
To support that the execs needed to get a locale that had better access to flights both domestic and international (O’Hare) with quick access to DC. But unlike L-M and others they didn’t want to move to DC proper as it would be too far from Seattle. This also made it easier for division heads to meet since they all came to a common spot somewhat equidistant from HQ.
Pre-move, Boeing was having some problems with Commercial Airplane having too much influence on some of the decision making and they wanted that division to be able to stand alone like the other divisions.
Seattle, being one of the more provincial cities in the US thought it was all a conspiracy to get execs closer to the former McDonnell Douglas HQ in St Louis, but this was bunk.
All the commercial airplane assets in St Louis and Long Beach were all turned over to Seattle management long before that. The only thing left in St Louis was defense (F-15 and F-18) and had no bearing at all.
Aerospace is in Houston and the Cape.
Boeing is a national company now and so the HQ was moved to reflect that.
Hope that helps.
KMART of Australia is converting stores to online fulfilment sites.
CURTIS – I still haven’t figured out why Boeing 15 or 20 years ago moved its HQ from Washington State to Illinois of all places.
Can anyone say if railroad dispatchers have been allowed to work from home?
Georgia has income taxes.
Has anyone wondered why these HQ’s are in states with little or no income tax?