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April 11, 2000 8:45 AM, EDT

CSX has deliberately deferred needed maintenance on its rail lines to make its financial results look better, the safety director of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees has charged.

The allegation was made in the wake of published news reports that a Federal Railroad Administration audit has uncovered deteriorating conditions in many areas of the CSX rail system.

Rick Inclima, director of safety for the BMWE that claims nearly 60,000 members in the United States and Canada, said a “pattern of deferral” has been seen on the railroad since the early 1990s.

But a CSX spokesman denied the charge, citing maintenance spending increases over recent years.

For the full story, see the Apr. 10 print edition of Transport Topics. .