(CSX issued the following news release on February 11.)
ATLANTA — With more than 2,000 positions to fill this year, and many more openings expected over the next five years, CSX Transportation (CSXT) is dedicating its new state-of-the-art training center in Atlanta at 11 a.m. Feb. 18 to prepare future railroaders for exciting careers.
The dedication, to be attended by Mayor Shirley Franklin, Craig Lesser, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, and CSX Corporation Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael Ward, will be highlighted by the graduation of the first class from the CSXT Railroad Education and Development Institute (REDI), 1590 Marietta Blvd.
In addition, tours will be conducted beginning at 10:30 a.m., providing an inside look at how railroaders will be trained. Students then have only to walk outside the $8 million facility to put those newly learned skills into action at Tilford Yard, one of CSXT’s Atlanta yards, where rail cars are switched and locomotives maintained.
“The facility provides top technical training that emphasizes CSXT’s core value of safety in every aspect of railroad operations,” said Ward. “Atlanta is the best strategic location to consolidate our training in one place. Here at Tilford, we can uniformly provide students with the technical background and the safety consciousness necessary to be successful and safe in their railroad careers.”
When fully operational, REDI and its professional staff will train more than 3,500 students annually to be locomotive engineers, conductors, track and signal technicians, mechanics, and yardmasters, using technology such as locomotive stimulators. Training also will be available for management trainees and professional development provided for current field managers.
With rail industry projections pointing to the need for thousands of new employees over the next few years, having all training in one location benefits CSXT and its employees in several ways:
* Reduced time to complete training and begin actual work, as well as close proximity to ongoing railroad operations.
* Enhanced opportunities for students specializing in one craft to get exposure to other, related disciplines.
* Increased ease of travel and additional savings on lodging.
New employee training in the past took place in Cumberland, Md. (locomotive engineers); Jacksonville, Atlanta and Cleveland (conductors); Barboursville, W.Va. (track engineers and train control); and Savannah, Ga. (train control).
“Our Atlanta facility will be a key part of our overall plan to recruit, train and qualify employees for fulfilling careers in our company,” said Wayne Richards, CSXT assistant vice president-contract staffing and training.
CSX Corporation , based in Jacksonville, Fla., owns the largest rail network in the eastern United States. CSX and its 34,000 employees provide rail transportation services over a 21,000 route-mile network in 23 states, the District of Columbia and two Canadian provinces. CSX Corporation also provides intermodal and global container terminal operations through other subsidiaries.