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CSX Transportation Sept. 30 announced plans to temporarily furlough 193 workers at its Raceland, Ky., car repair facility beginning Oct. 4 because of the soft economy and a decrease in coal carloads.


Railroad officials expect the furlough to last less than five months.


"There just isn’t enough work available to keep us running at full strength," said Raceland plant manager Bill James in a prepared statement.


CSXT employs 291 people at Raceland, its largest car repair facility, where workers build and repair coal hoppers, gondolas, coil-steel and other cars.


For the week ending Sept. 21, CSXT originated 29,066 coal carloads compared with 33,861 coal carloads during a similar 2001 period, according to Association of American Railroads data. Through 2002's first 38 weeks, U.S. and Canadian roads moved 5,251,446 coal carloads, a 3.8 percent decline compared with the same 2001 period.