Railroad embargo remains in effect for Winfield interchange The South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad (SKOL) interchange at Winfield (BNSF and UP) remains under an embargo that ceases interchange traffic at Winfield. The embargo is a result of flooding, which forced the railroad to cease operations on July 2. The SKOL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Watco Companies Inc. (WATCO). Emergency repairs allowed the embargo to be lifted on a customer-by-customer basis from the Coffeyville (UP) interchange Friday, along with the Columbus (BNSF) and Pittsburg (KCS) and Tulsa, Okla. (BNSF and UP) interchanges. The interchange at Winfield will be reopened as soon as track conditions allow, said Pat Cedeno, chief operating officer for Watco's central region. After the reopening occurs, it will be important to control the amount of traffic interchanged in order to avoid congestion along the entire line. Emergency repairs that now allow traffic to move on the SKOL were not intended to allow the railroad to run normal operations but only to allow the railroad to begin moving traffic safely at restricted speeds of 10 mph or less. More aggressive phase two repairs will begin as funding becomes available and will allow the railroad to return to pre-flood conditions and normal non-restricted speeds of 25 mph. [FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]Customers who need to identify locations of railcars on the SKOL may call Customer Service 24 hours a day at 866-889-2826. Additional updates will be provided as needed, based on changes in the SKOL operating plan. Watco Companies, Inc. (Watco), a Pittsburg-based company, operates 16 railroads in 14 states including the Alabama Southern, Arkansas Southern, Eastern Idaho, Great Northwest, Kansas and Oklahoma, Kaw River, Louisiana Southern, Mission Mountain, Mississippi Southern, Palous River and Coulee City, Pennsylvania Southwestern, South Kansas and Oklahoma, Stillwater Central, Timber Rock, Vicksburg Southern and Yellowstone Valley Railroads. Watco also operates industrial switching locations and mechanical and locomotive shops across the United States and is the owner of Millennium Rail Inc. (MRI), a fully-integrated provider of repair and maintenance services to the rail industry. MRI operates eight car repair shops across the United States. More information about Watco and MRI can be found on their Web site at www.watcocompanies.com. [/FONT]
Traffic on SKOL lines still restricted A traffic embargo remains in effect on the South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad for the interchange at Winfield as the result of flooding. Emergency repairs have allowed the embargo to be lifted on some parts of the track on a customer-by-customer basis. The Coffeyville interchange was opened Friday, along with the Columbus, Pittsburg and Tulsa interchanages. Traffic is moving at 10 mph on the SKOL after emergency repairs. Repairs to restore the line to pre-flood conditions will be made as capital funding allows. Non-restricted traffic can move at 25 mph. Customers who want to find out where their railcars are located on the SKOL can call the customer service number at 866-889-2826. P.J. Griekspoor
update... SKOL opens Winfield interchange The South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad has lifted the embargo on the interchange at Winfield, making all interchanges on the SKOL open for traffic. Emergency repairs have allowed the embargo to be lifted on a customer-by-customer basis during the last 10 days as the SKOL, a wholly owned subsidiary of Watco Companies Inc., recovers from the severe flooding in southeast Kansas that forced the railroad to cease operations on July 2. The Winfield interchange is the largest on the SKOL and required the most repairs. Traffic is still restricted to 10 mph on much of the line as repairs continue to be made. Watco is based in Pittsburg and also operates the Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad, which serves south-central and western Kansas and is based in Wichita. P.J. Griekspoor
