Santa Fe Railway

Santa Fe Pacific Corp. plans to reduce employment on its railroad by 2,700 jobs over five years, officials of the company said. The reductions will take place through job buyouts, attrition and possible layoffs and will affect both union and white-collar workers, according to a spokesman for Chicago-based Santa Fe. The cuts would likely affect Santa Fe Railway across its 11,500-mile system.

When renovation workers stepped into San Bernardino's historic Santa Fe train depot about a year and a half ago, they found the ceiling choked in vines, the walls alive with bees and the tile floors covered with a 4-inch layer of pigeon droppings. It was a tragic scene considering that in the early 1900s, the depot was the hub of one of Southern California's most flourishing railroad towns.

Santa Fe Railway announced today that it is cutting its staff by about 450 people, from non-union clerical workers to upper-level management, as part of a plan to streamline operations. "In order to survive and prosper in today's transportation environment, it is necessary that we provide high-quality service at competitive prices. We must reduce our ongoing expenses if we are to accomplish that," Michael R. Haverty, company president, said in a news release.

The Santa Fe railroad helped build California a century ago. Now, as a takeover fight rages for Santa Fe, California stands as both a valuable prize and a big hurdle for the two companies seeking control. Santa Fe Pacific Corp. agreed this summer to be acquired by Burlington Northern in a stock swap valued at $2.5 billion. But early this month, Union Pacific Corp. weighed in with a surprise $3.3-billion rival offer. For Burlington, a Ft.

Octogenarians rarely get hired for new jobs, but here's one that is not only about to play an important role in business but will also look more handsome than ever before. It is the dilapidated building at 123-125 Santa Fe Ave., which will soon be turned into the Santa Fe Law Plaza, a stylish office building for attorneys just half a mile from the courts in downtown Los Angeles. The building was constructed about the turn of the century as a warehouse and fruit-packing plant.

The Santa Fe railroad helped build California a century ago. Now, as a takeover fight rages for Santa Fe, California stands as both a valuable prize and a big hurdle for the two companies seeking control. Santa Fe Pacific Corp. agreed this summer to be acquired by Burlington Northern in a stock swap valued at $2.5 billion. But early this month, Union Pacific Corp. weighed in with a surprise $3.3-billion rival offer. For Burlington, a Ft.

Three people were killed in just over a day when struck by trains in the North County, reviving concerns about rail safety sparked by a spate of previous deaths along the coastal tracks. One of the latest deaths may have been a suicide. A bicyclist who apparently tried to outrun a train at a crossing was struck and killed at 7:56 p.m. Thursday in Carlsbad by a northbound Amtrak San Diegan, railroad personnel and police said.

Railroad workers have ratified an agreement with the Santa Fe Railway that authorizes a reduction in the size of some freight train crews, the carrier announced Monday. The agreement with the United Transportation Union on the Coast Lines of Santa Fe Railway covers operations in California, Arizona and New Mexico. A similar agreement is under consideration by UTU members on the railway's Texas Lines. "This agreement covers 30% of Santa Fe's conductors, trainmen and yardmen," the railway said.

Santa Fe Railway will sell 730 miles of track in the Southwest to privately held Orient Railcorp. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The three segments of track are in Oklahoma and Texas.

The Rail Age is about to return to this old whistle stop. For 22 years, the historic Santa Fe rail depot here, four blocks west of the city's quaint traffic circle, has played host only to vagrants. Horns blaring, freight and passenger trains streak by now-empty packinghouses.

Truckers' Strike Continues: The Santa Fe Railroad diverted six Los Angeles-bound freight trains to other destinations because of disruptions related to an independent truckers' strike. The strike has resulted in a shortage of drivers to remove freight from Santa Fe's Los Angeles rail yard, where thousands of shipments have piled up, Santa Fe spokesman Mike Martin said. The arrival of the additional freight trains, which might be delayed for several days, could have clogged the yard, he said.

Orange County commuters will have to wait a little longer for expanded rail service. The addition of two trains in December between Oceanside and Los Angeles with stops in Orange County has been postponed until May, because of a dispute with Santa Fe Railroad over track maintenance, county transit officials said. The Orange County Transportation Authority announced the delay to give commuters time to make other arrangements.

Santa Fe Railway on Tuesday sold 47 miles of rail line to the Orange County Transportation Authority for use as commuter lines. The sale was part of a $148-million sale of 100 miles of rail by Santa Fe to three Southern California transportation agencies. OCTA bought the railway's Olive line, which runs from Atwood to Orange, and the Orange County portion of the San Diego line, from Fullerton to San Clemente.

A 23-year-old Camp Pendleton Marine became the fourth person in a month to be struck and killed by a train in North County when a southbound Amtrak train hit him Friday evening as he walked along the tracks in Leucadia. Sheriff's deputies found the body of Cpl. John Penwell in the 1100 block of Old Highway 101 between the Santa Fe Railway tracks and Vulcan Avenue. He had been struck about 9:20 p.m. Friday.

Three people were killed in just over a day when struck by trains in the North County, reviving concerns about rail safety sparked by a spate of previous deaths along the coastal tracks. One of the latest deaths may have been a suicide. A bicyclist who apparently tried to outrun a train at a crossing was struck and killed at 7:56 p.m. Thursday in Carlsbad by a northbound Amtrak San Diegan, railroad personnel and police said.

State officials have rejected a city grant request for $2 million to purchase the abandoned Santa Fe Railway right of way between Herondo Street and Gould Avenue. Because of limited funding, the state will not fund any railroad right-of-way acquisitions in the coming fiscal year, according to a city report released this week.

Gather officials of five counties and representatives of a powerful business force around a bargaining table and what can you expect? Usually stalemate, given the often competing interests of the public and private sectors. True to form, that's what happened for years as transportation officials from Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties knocked heads with Santa Fe Railway over the proposed purchase of 336 miles of track.

Ending three years of bare-knuckle back-room negotiation, regional transportation officials agreed Thursday to buy 336 miles of track from the Santa Fe railroad needed for several vital trolley and commuter lines. The $500-million deal will, within three years, create the nation's sixth-largest commuter railroad and bring rail transit to large portions of Southern California that otherwise would probably never see such service.