realistically

Solutions for CSX's Greenbrier Brand, $15M in Red

They have an option in their hands - make a more regular passenger train connection in White Sulfur Springs! Make it easier to get to the place. Right now, to come from Washington DC (probably a majority of their market?) you either have to drive forever, a long PIA trip, take an expensive trip by small airplane to a teeny airfield...or take the Amtrak Cardinal. The Cardinal, which is very nice, scenic trip and leaves DC at 11am and arrives in White Sulphur Springs at 5pm or so. Great! But the train only runs three days a week. You cannot get there for a weekend...arrive Friday and leave Sunday. STOOPID! All of the Cardinal in on CSX tracks, most of which west of Manassas, VA are not highly utilized. I don't think the Greenbrier, which was built as a rail-accessible resort, would have ever been built based on such a silly 3 day a week rail schedule.

Lastly - here's a brainstorm. Arrange for the Greebrier to be able to have an excursion train go through the New River Gorge as a great visitor ammenity. Just west of White Sulphur Springs, it's the most spectacular scenery accesible by rail on the east coast, and the CSX tracks go right along the rivers edge for the length of it. I don't know about the coal rail traffic on the CSX Gorge line, but it probably isn't that busy that it couldn't accomodate one excursion train....whether CSX or any of the tourist rail operators who would JUMP at the chance to operate such a train on CSX tracks in true cooperation with a class 1 railroad. Think of the destination that Greenbrier would be with such a great activity. Drop the falconry. Get the train service together.

It's such a no-brainer in one sense. You wonder who is doing the strategic marketing for the Greenbrier and whether they ever talk with CSX.