Document wrX3kj8xOLeq9YyBprpGeGKdV

1 t profitability. When fully operational in mid-1969, this system will provide a sophisticated approach to railroad pricing. It will greatly facilitate the establishment of rates beneficial to both the customec and the railroad. Electronic scanners are already reading color coding on freight cars and locomo tives and passing accurate information di rectly into the computer system. From each coded car, the scanner picks up the name of the owner, the cat number and the type of car. Ibis electronic system is called Automatic Car Identification or ACI. Car coding is presently scheduled for completion nationally by January 1, 1970. By April 1969, much of the information handled by the computer system will travel over the railroad's new microwave system all the way from New Orleans to Chicago. This will greatly improve the capacity of our telephone system and will provide other services that will allow us to operate more efficiently. Piggyback and Containbr Service Containers are a promising new form of moving fteighc. Container shipments in 1968 were up substantially. Prospects ate for an equal or greater improvement in 1969. Handling of 20-foot Inter-pool con tainers through gulf ports appears promis ing as more Gulf steamship lines establish attractive rates and service schedules. Piggyback volume and revenue increased. The railroad handled 72,302 trailer loads including mail and express compared with 64,380 loads in 1967. There are piggyback facilities at 72 stations, including Nashville and two other locations on the former Tennessee Central Railroad. New ramps were opened at Coviogton, Tenn.; Cairo, Gibson City and Hertin, III., and Haleyville, Ala. Early in 1969 a new Department of Inrermodal Services was created to operate under the "profit center" concept. It takes over responsibility for piggyback and container shipments and also for mail and express. The railroad also announced that it will build two new piggyback and container facilities, one in Chicago and one in the St. Louis area. Passenger Service-- A Profit-center Concbpt During 1968, the passenger services department concentrated its efforts on promoting and improving train services that the public uses in large numbers. At the same time, trains the public demonstrates it doesn't want are being eliminated. Oper ating as a "profit-center," this department is responsible for both passenger revenues and expenses. It spent more money and effort promoting passenger service chan has been spent in many years. "Mini-Corridor Service" was introduced in the heavily patronized short-haul mar ket between Chicago, Champaign and CarbondaJe in mid-1968. Within a twoweek period during June and July the schedules of six trains were changed to pro vide service at more convenient hours. Faster schedules were created for several trains, and most trains were put on uni form running time. Departure rimes on the hour from terminals provided "memory schedules." As part of the Mini-Corridor service, the northbound Mid-American was changed from an overnight run to a fast, convenient daytime service providing Memphis with an early evening arrival in Chicago and a reduction of one hour and fifty minutes from the former schedule. ! 1 j j 1 . i | 1 SCI 01765