CNOC is Consolidated National Operations Center. They are responsible for all Amtrak trains within the Amtrak system in general, but they control no dispatching at all.
However, they may work with the host railroad dispatchers to resolve certain situation concerning Amtrak trains. If they wanted to see one Amtrak train given priority over another I am sure they could at least let the dispatchers know their desire and it is quite possible that if possible the dispatchers would try to accommodate.
CETC is what dispatches the NEC; DC to NYP essentially.
DC to NYP and NHV to BOS.
Roughly speaking this is who controls what.... (some boundary details may be a bit off since they might have changed slightly in the recent past, but not by a heck of a lot)
Washington K: CP Virginia to CP Avenue (exclusive)
CETC Wilmington: CP Avenue (Washington DC) to Holmes inclusive (Holmesburg PA)
CETC New York: Holmes exclusive to Erie (Secaucus Jct)
PSCC New York: Bergen (just outside the Hudson Tunnel) to Harold (Queens)
CETC New York: Gate (Queens) to CP262 exclusive (New Rochelle)
MNRR New Haven: CP262 inclusive to Mill River exclusive (New Haven)
CETC Boston: Mill River inclusive to BOS
Also in terms of terminology.... CETC has sections. So the CETC # that Alan mentioned is the Section number (not to be confused with Division, which is a different thing). Numbered sections usually are referred to in the form CETC #. The lettered sections are referred to as Section X.
Neither would play any role in the scenario above. I suppose that were only one host RR involved, maybe a very kind dispatcher might call CNOC to see which train they'd prefer to get the green. But I sure wouldn't hold my breath on that one either. But in this case, it's really up to the CSX & NS dispatchers to figure it out.
Exactly. If CNOC does not take a proactive role the host railroads will do whatever. But if CNOC chooses to make a request, they might comply.
AFAICT the portions of the NEC controlled by each CETC roughly coincides with the Divisions. I.e. CETC New York has New York Division, CETC Wilmington has Midatlantic Division (I think that is what it is called or alternatively NEC South. Not sure about the name), and CETC Boston controls New England Division.
Incidentally the Empire Corridor - NYP to Spuyten Duyvil and Poughkeepsie to Hoffmans + Post Road (Rensselaer) is also controlled out of NY CETC as a separate Section (I am thinking Section C but could be wrong). I think Dock (Newark) and its subsidiaries are still Section B and not a regular CETC Section unless something changed recently. I will check and post corrections as I learn them.
AFAICT Wilmington has CETC Sections 1 through 6, New York has 7 through 9, and eventually (maybe) 10, three or four extremely busy sections, and Boston has the rest. Boston does not identify Sections by number but by name I believe.