Railway lays off Bellevue workers

GROTON TWP. — Norfolk Southern Railway has apparently laid off dozens of workers over the past few months at the Moorman Yard terminal outside Bellevue. Dave Sabo, Bellevue's economic development director, said he's been told the company let go 22 electricians, 27 machinists and 22 laborers, leaving 10 machinists employed at the yard. "If that was the case, we feel for those who lost their job or have been laid off indefinitely," Sabo said. The Atlanta-based company, which operates more than 19,000 miles of track, didn't confirm the number of people laid off but did say there were staffing changes at the terminal. "We continue to make changes to our operations as a result of evolving market demands, the recovering economy and our pursuit of efficiency gains and customer service," Norfolk Southern spokesman Jeff DeGraff said. "These changes include how our facilities operate and their staffing levels." He added the staffing changes were a continuation of its June decision to idle the hump, an artificial mound used to slow train cars, at the station. The company faced a lawsuit regarding the noise created by the hump, which can be seen when driving on the Ohio 4 overpass near the border of Erie and Huron counties. DeGraff said the lawsuit had nothing to do with the decision. DeGraff did say the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the decision to close the hump because of the lower car volumes. The terminal now uses the more traditional flat-switching method of sorting rail cars. According to a 2012 Register article, Norfolk Southern, at one time, employed about 700 people in the Bellevue area. Although the layoffs hit Bellevue and the local area's economy, Sabo said there are plenty of opportunities left in the city. "Even though Norfolk Southern is not located in the city of Bellevue, at one time, (it) employed many people from this community with some good-paying jobs," Sabo said. "On the flip side, Bellevue manufacturers are looking for qualified workers to fill some much-needed positions with some good-paying wages. Those folks who lost employment with the railroad have some good options to get back in the workforce."