Tuesday morning rail news in brief:
NS strategy officer Scheib departs; departments realigned
Norfolk Southern announced Monday evening that John Scheib, executive vice president and chief strategy officer, was departing effective immediately. It also is making changes in its corporate structure, consolidating functions of its Service Optimization and Customer Engagement Division into other functions. In a press release, CEO James A. Squires said the moves are “achieving further cost savings, enhancing collaboration, and increasing efficiency, all while maintaining superior customer service.” The restructuring of functions which had been under Scheib include:
— Strategic Planning will move to the Finance Division, headed by Mark George, executive vice president and chief financial officer.
— Network Planning and Optimization will become part of the Operations Division, led by Michael Wheeler, executive vice president and chief operating officer.
— Customer Operations will become part of the Marketing Division, led by Alan Shaw, executive vice president and chief operating officer.
CN employee killed at yard in British Columbia
A Canadian National employee was killed early Monday during switching operations at the railroad’s Surrey, British Columbia, yard, Global News reports. The railroad said the accident occurred at 2 a.m. but supplied no other details. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating.
Metro-North crews complain of crowding, ask for more trains
Metro-North crews say trains are becoming so crowded that it is difficult to maintain social distancing and are asking the commuter railroad to resume its normal schedule, the Rockland/Westchester Journal News reports. The Association of Commuter Rail Employees, the union representing conductors and engineers, said in a letter to Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi that the addition of 19 trains for the peak commuter periods, which began on May 26, “falls far short of what is necessary in the COVID-19 environment.” A Metro-North spokeswoman said the agency had received no customer complaints and will continue to monitor ridership levels and add trains as needed.
