Monopoly status allows CSX to disregard Fredericksburg

Date published: 2/12/2005

While I applaud former Fredericksburg City Councilman Joe Wilson's effort to get CSX's attention ["Concrete example; chunks from crumbling bridges sent to CSX," Feb. 11], unfortunately it will probably fail.

Even though CSX showed handsome earnings at the end of the fourth quarter, don't expect them to fix any problems. This is not your old-fashioned railroad.

Gone are the days of the RF&P; clean and well-repaired stations, crossings, and rail sidings; and engineers, conductors, and yardmasters who took orders from real railroad men--not from a speaker box in Jacksonville, Fla.

I wonder if CSX President Michael Ward notices the horrible state everything is in when he rolls by Fredericksburg on the CSX corporate train. I doubt it. He's probably too busy counting coins.

But that's what happens when monopolies are allowed to flourish and not be held accountable.

Bruce Perkins

Stafford

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Date published: 2/12/2005