May 18th, 2017 by WCBC Radio
It was just five months ago that the biggest problem the city of Cumberland had with CSX Transportation was trying to convince the railroad operator to repair and maintain three bridges on the city’s West Side. Today the concerns are much greater. The Hump at the South Cumberland CSX rail yards closed officially on Tuesday- a move that saw a number of employees let go. Although there remains no official word from CSX headquarters about the long term plans for CSX in Cumberland- rumors persist that more cuts and layoffs are inevitable as that has been the management approach of Hunter Harrison- who took over as CEO of the railroad in March. Delegate Mike McKay has said that while the state could always attempt to leverage projects CSX needs in other parts of the state with maintaining the local operation- that would be a long shot at best. McKay emphasized that he has heard nothing official from CSX, only the rumors that have been circulating. He said if there were serious cutbacks at the Cumberland rail yards- it could be a major blow to the local economy…
