Posted on 06/02/2008 8:03:57 AM PDT by Just another Joe
CHICAGO -- Railway executive Matthew Rose stood before fellow industry leaders, pointing to a map meant to tell the future of the U.S. rail freight network. It was drenched in red -- east to west, north to south.
The blotches illustrated areas where, by 2035, traffic jams could be so severe trains would grind to a halt for days with nowhere to go.
"For those of you who've ever seen a good rail meltdown, this is what it looks like," Rose, CEO of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., said as the crowded hall shifted uncomfortably in their chairs. "It's literally chaos in the supply chain."
Not to worry. The dems will cripple the economy within 2 years and they’ll be excess capacity.
“But the environmental nazis love their “rails to trails””
As a former WA state resident and trail maintenance volenteer, I loved Rails to Trails. They were predomenently dead track that lead out to long gone gold/silver mines in the mountains, or to no longer used depots in small towns. The track had to have been sitting unused for years to even be considered.
Our current active rail infrastructure does need serious help though. I’ll certainly give you that.
Let me guess, the punch line is going to be "and therefore Congress must subsidize the railroads to build more track."
Let me guess only a trillion dollar tax hike will save the railroads.
“Dagney Taggart, pick up the flashing red courtesey phone please.”
Rails are actually more important than roads. Rails deliver coal and other goods required by the infrastructure to support power production, refineries, just about every major industry relies in some way or another on rail traffic.
Chicago is really at it’s maximum capacity. Creating a bypass rail switching yard in mid state Illinois or Indiana would significantly improve the flow. Further double tracking lines along the East/West corridor would help as well.
The problem is, who is going to pay for it. Ultimately, it will have to be the consumer either through the increase transportation costs, or through taxes. The good news is that there may be an offset by building enough capacity to remove many of the long haul trucking cargo to rail. The idea being that rail transport is more efficient than truck transport
I wouldn't doubt that.
I would rather see the private companies given help to build out more capacity, if needed.
Let the government subsidize, or take over, the railroads and the bureaucracy will slow things down to the point that we won't HAVE a railroad.
But they better think about commuter traffic when they build out more lines.
People won't like being held up on their way to work.
Attention taxpayers:
Place both hands on your wallet and grip tightly.
Thanks for posting.
A saw a for-real rail backup on the UPRR this past winter, driving between Wyoming and Nevada. Trains were stopped on both tracks and I saw a new stopped train about every 40 miles or so along I-80. In the 10+ hours I was driving on I-80, I saw probably over 20 trains sitting on the tracks, motionless, with their engines running and lights on.
I can see the problems in rail capacity every day here in Sheridan: coal trains coming out of the mine in Decker, MT are getting longer and longer. When you sit at a crossing in Sheridan, you might as well shut off your engine, because you’re going to be seeing 125 to nearly 200 coal cars rumbling by at 20 MPH. There are five and six loco’s on these trains — three in front, at least two on the rear end to keep the train from breaking in two (or more) bunches of cars.
Ping.
It is Obama’s fault... CN should be allowed to buy the EJE and reroute trains around congested Chicago.
Arent there a lot of murders on the Snoqualamie trail?
The railroads are responsible for their infrastructure.
I can’t tell you the number of times that’s bothered me, as my car bottomed out at poorly maintained rural intersections with the track.
“Dagney Taggart, pick up the flashing red courtesey phone please.”
I have a new laminated bumper sticker: ‘John Galt 08’
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