Byron Porter

CEO Hum. Creating next gen rail tech. I write weekly about rail at The Pacific:

[Byron Porter @humrail]

@espn Jim Brown in the Dirty Dozen

[Byron Porter @humrail]

@ndcarson @matthewstoller 🤦‍♂️Classic RR. Trying to solve those problems, along with the hot bearing issues, with our sensor technology. It's crap like that which motivated me to start my company. Definitely need a counterbalance to RR dominance for shippers.

[Byron Porter @humrail]

@ndcarson @matthewstoller In the case of vinyl chloride, rail moves seem antiquated with integrated production sites. Higher rail rates could shut down these older processes and move to more efficient plants that pump the monomer to the polymerization process. No over the road transport needed.

[Byron Porter @humrail]

@ndcarson @matthewstoller Not debating that, but if we want to avoid another East Palestine it does come at a cost. Higher risk should = higher rates. Extortionate rates are always an issue with RRs and the rate review process is a joke. But should be no confusion as to why a RR hazmat rates increase

[Byron Porter @humrail]

@matthewstoller @ndcarson Forcing RRs to carry hazmat, whether by might or right, doesn't make shipping hazmat any safer. Investment in better safety systems and a premium for the risk is a tax that's going to get passed on to hazmat shippers one way or the other. Can't run a business any other way.

[Byron Porter @humrail]

@matthewstoller @ndcarson For a couple of smart guys, your eagerness to stick the RRs (which I share) leaves you blind to why they don't want hazmat: risk mitigation. NS is getting cooked now. No RR, shipper, or lessor wants that, so they're going to price the risk in accordingly.

[Byron Porter @humrail]

Four systemic safety issues the East Palestine crash report may point to https://t.co/Yn8gGX6LTV

[Byron Porter @humrail]

@Medexpert020217 @ndcarson Reporting mark is Cargill's, so likely veg oil.

[Byron Porter @humrail]

@rrpre The issue is that this is an antiquated system that runs a bearing to the point of failure.

https://t.co/HmXGZSgNxo

[Byron Porter @humrail]

@nscorp is getting cooked by this incident, but the existing system operated as it was designed. The problem is that the system has holes - the rail industry runs equipment to the point of failure.

[Byron Porter @humrail]

@rrpre While a convenient continuation of the “PSR bad” narrative from the unions (not that they’re wrong, mostly), the HBDs in this instance were working properly.

[Byron Porter @humrail]

There are an average of 14 hot bearing derailments a year. Every few years a bad one happens. Until the industry changes by adopting a different approach, this will only continue.

[Byron Porter @humrail]

@nscorp is getting cooked by this incident, but the existing system operated as it was designed. The problem is that the system has holes - the rail industry runs equipment to the point of failure.

[Norfolk Southern @nscorp]

We issued the following statement today in response to the @NTSB's preliminary report on the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment. https://t.co/odV8ruUZ16

[Byron Porter @humrail]

The Boomerang was designed to shift the industry away from run to failure maintenance and towards condition based maintenance. Instead of relying on both an HBD to flag a bad bearing AND the train crew to slow down in time, put it in the shop 10,000 miles before it fails!

[Byron Porter @humrail]

@WilliamJMcGee Amazing to see all the similarities between the airline and rail industries, beginning with Carter deregulation.

[Byron Porter @humrail]

Precision Scheduled Airlining?

[William J. McGee @WilliamJMcGee]

6/13 It wasn't always like this. Service was expanded when it could be accommodated. Interlining was mandatory, so rival airlines honored tickets during meltdowns. Passenger loads averaged 54-76% from 1960-2000; now they're over 90%. Today the system collapses if things go wrong.

[Byron Porter @humrail]

I will never cease to be amazed at what @SpaceX is doing. Incredible, consistent feats of engineering.

[SpaceX @SpaceX]

Watch Falcon Heavy launch the USSF-44 mission to orbit → https://t.co/EDwAlAYGuI https://t.co/UjaaUgi1c9