Hurricane Katrina Updates

Updated October 6, 2005 4:00 p.m.

The only embargoes that remain in place for Hurricane Katrina-impacted areas is for local traffic within New Orleans proper.

 

Updated 9/20/2005 4:00 p.m.

Interchange resumed last week with the NS over the New Orleans gateway for traffic destined east of hurricane-embargoed points on their lines. We continue to work with CSX to re-route additional trains that would normally interchange through the New Orleans gateway daily. These plans are allowing customers to continue to waybill traffic through the New Orleans interchange. Customers should anticipate 24-48 hour delays on shipments being detoured through alternative gateways.

The only stations embargoed on the Union Pacific are New Orleans for local traffic and Westwego in the New Orleans area. We are able to provide local service to all other customers on our Livonia and Lafayette subdivisions.

Customers who are not operational are encouraged to notify UP Customer Service (1-800-272-8777) of their current plans for beginning production. We are staging rail cars for many customers and we must make alternative arrangements for this equipment in order to keep the line fluid now that interchange traffic has been resumed.

 

Updated 9/13/2005 8:00 a.m.

We continue to work with eastern carriers to keep commerce flowing as effectively as possible. We're anticipating limited interchange with the NS over the New Orleans gateway to resume today, Tuesday, September 13, for traffic destined east of hurricane-embargoed points on their lines. Interchange with the NS for local New Orleans traffic continues to be embargoed.

Working with the CSX, we are continuing to re-route the additional trains that would normally interchange through the New Orleans gateway daily. These plans are allowing customers to continue to waybill traffic through the New Orleans interchange. Customers should anticipate up to an additional 48 hours transit time on shipments being detoured through alternative gateways.

Local service is available into our Taft and Avondale yards for customers who are operational. We are only able to operate during daylight hours, due to police-enforced curfews in the New Orleans area. Customers who are not operational are encouraged to notify UP Customer Service (1-800-272-8777) of their current plans for beginning production. We are staging rail cars for many customers and we must make alternative arrangements for this equipment in order to keep the line fluid now that interchange traffic has been resumed.

Updated 9/08/2005 4:00 p.m.

Local train service has been restored and is running into our Avondale Yard. We are only able to operate during daylight hours, due to police-enforced curfews in the New Orleans area.

Union Pacific is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate efforts on their transportation requirements.

Union Pacific has handled the shipment of nearly 300 trailer loads of water to Memphis, Tenn., where the supplies will be trucked to hurricane victims. Shipments will continue for an estimated three months, sending 40 containers per day to the area.

We continue to work with eastern carriers to keep commerce flowing as effectively as possible. Working with the NS and CSX, we are re-routing the 14 trains that would normally interchange through the New Orleans gateway daily. These plans are allowing customers to continue to waybill traffic through the New Orleans interchange.

Embargoes remain in place in the New Orleans area and other Gulf Coast locations. Traffic destined to embargoed stations will not be processed and customers need to advise us of alternative destinations. All affected railroads are updating their respective embargoes daily as repairs are made and customer's facilities become operational. A current listing of embargoed stations is available on the AAR's embargo web site at: (http://embargo.railinc.com/).

Customers should anticipate up to an additional 48 hours transit time on shipments being detoured through alternative gateways.

Updated 9/6/2005 1:00 p.m.

Power lines and downed trees have been removed from the tracks just north of Avondale. Local service to our customers on the line between Livonia and Avondale has been restored. We will amend our embargo to allow traffic into our customers on this line as the customer's facilities become operational. In addition, bridge engineers inspected the Huey P. Long Bridge, which UP crosses to interchange traffic with the CSX and the NS, and found no structural damage.

While New Orleans continues to not be a viable interchange gateway, we are working with eastern carriers to keep commerce flowing as effectively as possible given the scope of the devastation. To minimize the impact on customers, UP has developed, with NS and with CSX, alternative routing plans for the traffic that would normally interchange through the New Orleans gateway. These plans will allow customers to continue to waybill traffic through the New Orleans interchange. Embargoes remain in place in the New Orleans area and other Gulf Coast locations. Traffic destined to embargoed stations will not be processed and customers need to advise us of alternative destinations. A current listing of embargoed stations is available on the AAR's embargo web site (http://embargo.railinc.com/).

Customers should anticipate up to an additional 48 hours transit time on shipments being detoured through alternative gateways.

We continue to make contact with our employees in the area, to offer them assistance.

We thank you for your cooperation as we work to restore operations in this devastated area and minimize delays as we move increased volumes over other connecting gateways. We will work cooperatively with other carriers in an effort to minimize the impact on customers. For now, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of Katrina and our focus is on restoring safe operations as soon as possible.

Updated 8/31/2005 4:00 p.m.

Union Pacific has completed the initial inspection of our main track and terminal facilities in and around the New Orleans area. While there is debris to be cleared, our track structure sustained no major damage. Structural inspections of bridges in the New Orleans area continue. Commercial electricity is still not available to many of our facilities. Telephone service is available to our Avondale Yard, however, data transmission capabilities are not available.

Members of the Union Pacific family have been deeply impacted by this disaster, along with other residents in the area. We continue to make contact with our employees in the area, to offer them assistance and determine their availability to report for work.

The embargoes remain in place for all traffic on the Livonia Subdivision between St. James, LA east to New Orleans, and on the Lafayette Subdivision to UP-served stations between New Iberia, LA east to New Orleans. We are working with our customers on the Livonia Subdivision, many of whom had damage to their facilities, to provide local service as needed as they work to restore their operations.

We continue to work closely with the eastern carriers as they assess the damage to their systems and are jointly developing alternative operating plans for New Orleans traffic through other gateways. We will provide more information regarding alternative routing of connecting traffic as those plans are finalized. In the meantime, we ask that customers continue to route their traffic as they have in the past, until we notify them of the alternative routing plans.

Customers with traffic moving to, from or through the New Orleans area should continue to anticipate delays.

Updated 8/30/2005 4:00 p.m.

Union Pacific is conducting a physical inspection of our track structure in and around the New Orleans area to determine damage caused by Hurricane Katrina, which came ashore southeast of New Orleans on Monday morning. High water prevents accurate assessment in some areas, especially in and around New Orleans.  We anticipate that the inspection will be completed by Wednesday, August 31. Additionally, we are making contact with our employees in the area, many of whom are currently without housing, to determine their personal situations and availability to report for work.

While the damage assessment continues, interchange through the New Orleans gateway will continue to be unavailable for the immediate future. We are working closely with the eastern carriers as they assess the damage to their systems and are jointly developing alternative operating plans for New Orleans traffic through other gateways. Customers with traffic moving to, from or through the New Orleans area should continue to anticipate delays.

Until a more complete damage assessment is concluded and repairs are completed, Union Pacific's embargoes on all traffic originating, destined to or routed through New Orleans will remain in effect. The embargoes cover all traffic on the Livonia Subdivision between St. James, LA east to New Orleans, and on the Lafayette Subdivision to UP-served stations between New Iberia, LA east to New Orleans. The Norfolk Southern, CSXT, Canadian National and Kansas City Southern railroads have all issued similar embargoes to New Orleans and other Gulf Coast areas.

We will continue to provide updates on our web site at www.uprr.com/customers as information becomes available and alternative operating plans are finalized.

Updated 8/29/2005 2:30 p.m.

LUnion Pacific has issued embargoes on our primary routes into and out of New Orleans as a result of Hurricane Katrina, which came ashore at 6:10 a.m. CT about 70 miles southeast of New Orleans.

All traffic originating, destined to or routed through the New Orleans area is impacted. The embargoes cover all traffic on the Livonia Subdivision between St. James, LA east to New Orleans, and on the Lafayette Subdivision to UP-served stations between New Iberia, LA east to New Orleans. The Norfolk Southern, CSXT, Canadian National and Kansas City Southern railroads have all issued similar embargoes to New Orleans and other Gulf Coast areas.

Where possible, we are working with the CSXT and Norfolk Southern on the re-routing of connecting traffic over their systems at other gateways.

In preparation for the storm, Union Pacific positioned materials and is prepared to begin repair work as soon as the storm subsides and damage from Katrina's wind and heavy rains can be assessed. Customers with traffic moving to, from or through the New Orleans area should anticipate delays.

We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.