About 100 workers in the yard and mechanical department to be affected

RUSSELL — At least 100 workers will be affected as CSX streamlines operations at its Russell Kentucky facility.

Company leaders met with employees at the Russell facility on Tuesday to let them know that operations at the mechanical car shop and the yard will be reduced, CSX spokesperson Melanie Cost said in a news release.

Some yard operations will continue and locomotive and engineering employees will not be affected, Cost said.

“Operations in Russell primarily serve coal trains moving from the Central Appalachian coal fields, and the diminished traffic levels no longer support the same level of activity there,” she said. “Low natural gas prices have significantly decreased CSX’s coal movements over the past five years, with $1.4 billion in coal revenue declines during that time.”

Relocation opportunities and other benefits will be provided to union employees, in accordance with their collective bargaining agreements, she said. Some furloughed union employees will be eligible for jobs in the higher-demand areas of the company’s network. Management employees will be offered relocation opportunities or will be eligible for severance benefits.
“We are grateful for these employees’ service to CSX and are committed to supporting them during this difficult time,” Cost said. “CSX will continue to serve its customers in and around Russell and across the state. CSX remains a committed partner in Russell and throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky, with more than 2,900 miles of track in the state, an automotive distribution center in Louisville and the Casky rail yard in Hopkinsville.”