BEFORE THE
PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION
OF THE
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
----------
In the Matter of the Application )
of Lake Erie, Franklin & Clarion ) Application Docket No. A.61614
Railroad Company for Authority to ) 1942
Discontinue the Operation of )
Passenger, Mail and Express Service)
on its line of Railroad )
------------P E T I T I O N
OF LAKE ERIE, FRANKLIN & CLARION RAILROAD COMPANY FOR AUTHORITY TO DISCONTINUE THE OPERATION OF PASSENGER, MAIL AND EXPRESS SERVICE ON ITS ENTIRE LINE OF RAILROAD SITUATE IN THE COUNTIES OF CLARION AND JEFFERSON, COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
TO THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA:
The petition of Lake Erie, Franklin & Clarion Railroad Company, a Pennsylvania Corporation, having its principal office at Clarion, Pennsylvania, and that being its post office address, respectfully represents:
That the Lake Erie, Franklin & Clarion Railroad Company was duly incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and its charter is dated November 10, 1913, and is recorded in Clarion County Corporation Docket No. 2, page 74, in Jefferson County Corporation Docket No. 2, page 275, and in Elk County Miscellaneous Docket "H" page 457.
The termini of the line on which passengers, mail and express service is now operated, is as follows:
Clarion, Clarion County, Pennsylvania, and Summerville, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, a distance of 15.04 miles.
The Schedule of the passenger, mail and express service as operated by the petitioner for the past several years, and as now operated, is as follows:
(Daily Except Sunday)
No. 1
Mls.
No. 2
7:00 a.m.
0
lve. Clarion arr.
8:35 a.m
f 7:04 a.m.
1.6
Elss
f 8:30 a.m.
7:08 a.m.
2.8
Strattonville
8:28 a.m.
f 7:13 a.m.
4.5
Gordontown
f 8:43 a.m.
f 7:17 a.m.
6.0
Waterson
f 8:19 a.m.
f 7:20 a.m.
7.0
Henderson
f 8:16 a.m.
f 7:23 a.m.
8.4
Rader
f 8:11 a.m
7:27 a.m.
10.1
Holden
8:06 a.m.
f 7:30 a.m.
11.1
Heidrick
f 8:02 a.m.
f 7:34 a.m.
13.4
Harlan
f 7:55 a.m.
f 7:37 a.m.
14.1
Carrier
f 7:52 a.m.
7:40 a.m.
15.0
Summerville
7:50 a.m.
f - Flag Stop.
The discontinuance of the service should be authorized for the following reasons:
The service as operated for the past several years has been primarily for the transportation of through mail and express traffic interchanged with the Pennsylvania Railroad Train No. 9227 at Summerville, Pa., that being the petitioner's only railroad connection for the interchange of passenger, mail and express traffic.
As hereinafter shown, only a very negligible number of passengers have been transported and the operation of the service has consistently resulted in a cash loss to the petitioner, which loss petitioner has assumed in the interest of the communities served by it. However, effective July 1, 1942, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company discontinued, under authority granted it by the Public Utility Commission of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in Docket A-60882, the operation of its Trains Nos. 9227 and 9236 between Driftwood and Red Bank, Pennsylvania.
The through mail and express trffic heretofore interchanged with Pennsylvania Railroad Train No. 9227 at Summerville, Pa., is now interchanged with highway motor trucks at that point. The mail trucks arrive at and depart from Summerville, Pa. at approximately the same hour of the day as did Pennsylvania Railroad Train No. 9227, but the express trucks are on a schedule several hours later than Train No. 9227, resulting in a delay in the express traffic until the next morning. Consequently, while there has been no change in the mail schedule or any delay in such service, there is a twenty-four hour delay in the movement of express traffic to and from Clarion, Pa. A rearrangement of the express truck schedule now operating through Summerville, Pa., so as to include Clarion, Pa., would increase the highway mileage of said trucks only slightly, and would effect substantial improvement in the express service to and from Clarion, Pa.
A representative of the United States Post Office Department, in verbally indicating their willingness to utilize, for the present, the existing passenger-train service of the petitioner for the transportation of the morning mail to and from Clarion, Pa., Strattonville, Pa. and Corsica, Pa. (Holden), expressed the belief that transportation of such mail by the use of highway motor trucks would result in a material saving to the Department, and they cound not assure the peritioner that the mail traffic will be continued indefinitely on the petitioner's train, but that the present arrangements are subject to cancellation on possibly not more than thirty days notice.
A statement showing the passengers carried, revenues and expenses during the year 1941 and the first five months of the year 1942 is as follows:
PASSENGER TRAFFIC STATISTICS: Five Mo. 1942
Year 1941
3,870
9,160
349
845
2,764
7,201
.72
.79
REVENUES: $ 63.60
$ 167.40
671.31
1685.25
353.31
797.08
7.90
9.12
1,096.12
2,658.85
219.22
221.57
EXPENSES: 636.21
1,324.88
138.27
341.20
666.97
1,592.92
83.16
208.64
1,524.61
3,467.64
304.92
288.97
428.49
808.79
85.70
67.40
Expenses shown above include only cash expenditures related solely to the operation of passenger service. Cost of supervision, minor expenditures for stationery and printing, the effect on track maintenance, etc., have been disregarded for the purpose of this statement. The equipment, consisting of a Brill Model 55 Gasoline Rail Car, has been fully depreciated, and is in fairly good repair, except for exterior painting.
Your peritioner believes that with the discontinuance of Pennsylvania Railroad Train No. 9227 there will be a decrease in the number of passengers carried, and that it is only a matter of time until both the mail and the express traffic will be diverted to highway motor trucks and represents that the service for which authority to discontinue is sought is no longer reasonably necessary or appropriate in the public interest.
Your petitioner further sets forth that the name and address of its Attorney and General Counsel is Theo. L. Wilson, Clarion, Clarion County, Pennsylvania.
And further, your peritioner sets forth that this petition is made in accordance with the Public Service Commission Law of Pennsylvania, approved July 26, 1913, and any Acts supplementary thereto applicable to this case.
That these proceeding for the discontinuance of passenger, main and express service on its line of railroad were duly authorized and directed by the Directors of the said Lake Erie, Franklin & Clarion Railroad Company at a meeting held at Clarion, Pa., on June 30, 1942.
Whereas, your petitioner prays that the said Public Utility Commission of Pennsylvania make an order issue a certificate of Public Convienience permitting the said railroad to discontinue its passenger, mail and express service on its line of railroad between Clarion, Clarion County, Pennsylvania and Summerville, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania.
And it will ever pray, &c.
LAKE ERIE, FRANKLIN & CLARION RAILROAD COMPANY
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