Is there a secret to successfully dealing with a railroad company?
I've been trying all morning to speak to someone at CSX. I keep getting the run around. The phone numbers listed on their website are wrong. The phone tree listed and what they tell you on the outgoing message do not get you to where they say.
I finally found a person to talk to and they gave me a number and told me to leave a voice mail. Called that number and am not able to leave a voice mail because the mailbox is full.
Get back to the live human and am told that the full mailbox sometimes happens and I should wait a week or two then call back and maybe I can leave a message then. When asked if there was a way to talk to a real live person I was told they "do not answer the phone over there, you have to leave a voice mail."
I did find a way to fill out an online form to request information. There are about 10 fields that are mandatory. Many of the fields require that I know various codes that are internal to their system. Can't send a request until you have gotten into the system to get the data you need to send the request. (Anyone else see the flaw in that logic?)
Did I mention that there is a fee of $75 per map plus shipping costs and the wait time for a copy of a map can be several weeks?
One would think the railroad company would want us to get their lines correct. But they certainly do make it difficult to determine exactly what is correct.
Anyone got a contact or some advice other than not to worry about the placement of their right of way?
Larry P
If you ever need info from BN&SF I know one person who can probably steer you in the correct direction. For any others, ????????????.B-)
> Is there a secret to successfully dealing with a railroad company?
>
> I've been trying all morning to speak to someone at CSX. >
good luck with CSX. as i recall, their price per page might be in the hundreds these days. i sincerely hope i am wrong, the order form is now missing from my ofc.
good luck getting onto the ROW for conducting your field survey.
We had to atttend the CSX safety course and it was scheduled at their convenience at a local hotel. But this may vary from state to stae depending on right of entry laws.
If you don't attend, you are considered a "trespasser" with all the legal ramifications attached.
New Orleansd Public Belt RR was not that bad. You just had to check in and out with them everday and give them a location. Their security would play spy a few times a day.
AND...don't use any paint or flagging on or near the rails. A big No No
> Is there a secret to successfully dealing with a railroad company?
>
LOL....wrong category. You need the humor section. Railroad companies are harder to deal with than the State DOTs, local agencies, and the federal government combined. I am not sure they know how to deal with their own-selves internally.
Keep a list of railroad companies,and if you ever get a lead or if you ever stumble into someone easy to deal with, write them down. Call your other surveyor contacts (and post here like you did) and slowly find out the special contacts you need for each of them. Whether they be a secretary, or a bigwig, or a surveyor. It's finding the right person and not the right office.
The only way you'll get hold of someone immediately, and get real action is to start surveying in their right of way. But the action you get might not be what you're looking for. At least you'll see some life.
Have only had 2 jobs that were not much like you describe.
First one I was surveying a parcel to be sold by the railroad to a mining company for a rail to river facility. Mining company gave me a contact and the information and additional local contacts were automatic. Here is all the information, including original deed volume & page, we have in the area. Call the local contact if you have access problems.
Second a City & Army Corps of Engineers project. Again provided a local contact to talk with regarding project. Information was not as complete but with the Corps involved cooperation was better than I expected.
Both were many years before 9/11 and the security since then.
Shoot me an email Larry.
CSX is a pain in the ass to try and work with. They hold all of the cards and they know it. I had heard somewhere that there was a third party from which you could order val maps but the price was high. Have you checked with your county clerk's office? Sometimes they have copies of the val maps.
Since CSX moved offices to Florida, we have not been able to reach anyone. We've tried it all to no avail. We do quite a bit of work adjoining their rails, so I would love to hear someone chime in on a contact too.
Call early and call often.
Everybody leaves early when you work for a railroad.......;-)
Larry,
I posted last week to another question on R/R ROW I have a contract with CSX and if you will email me the State, The Milepost Numbers which you can get off the signalpost at the crossings near your project areas. I will run my sources in Jacksonville and get you copies of the ROW maps you are looking for.
I am in St Louis for the next three days for CE units but will find your R/R ROW sections when I get back to Tennessee. gPsprice@aol.com
Jerry Price
Since 911, railroads have a lot of clout and they know how to use it.
> Larry,
> I posted last week to another question on R/R ROW I have a contract with CSX and if you will email me the State, The Milepost Numbers which you can get off the signalpost at the crossings near your project areas. I will run my sources in Jacksonville and get you copies of the ROW maps you are looking for.
> I am in St Louis for the next three days for CE units but will find your R/R ROW sections when I get back to Tennessee. gPsprice@aol.com
> Jerry Price
Outstanding Mr. Price. Thank you very much.
I will send you an email in a day or so when I have had an opportunity to get to the site and check the mileposts.
Larry P
My experiences were very good as well. We did have a local contact, did not have to do the training, and they sent two folks with radios out with us to let us know when to clear the tracks. The only aggravation was they would get us off the tracks 30 minutes before the train actually arrived, but they are belt and suspenders as far as safety is concerned.
Try contacting Leslie Odom who is the In-House Surveyor for CSX Real Property , Inc.
Leslie D. Odom, RPLS
CSX Real Property, Inc.
Leslie_Odom@csx.com
