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BNSF boss says transport system nearing crisis

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I agree about the Northeast and to a lesser extent the Midwest being the driving issues politically back then. Consider how much went into Conrail. I think it's also worth remembering that Communist China was the 'enemy' and our last president was loudly criticized for allowing a Chinese businessman a sleep over at the White House. The Republican party was(and still is) divided and many conservatives such as Pat Buchanan wanted tough trade and monetary restrictions on China. The neo-cons are largely pro-business, but I'm not sure anyone forsaw the degree to which we have sold out to the Chinese. The flood of imports could have just as easily come from Russia or India. <br /> <br />In the Trains article on BNSF Reborn, I recall it was mentioned that at the time, nobody was really sure they wanted the SF transcon. Likewise, PRB coal became desirable after changes in the Clean Air act. The point is that radical shifts in traffic patterns can occur rapidly due to external factors such as legislation, foreign policy shifts, etc.and because of the expense and time involved rail can't react overnight. Banking ROW's is a great idea IMO, but operating redundant lines just in case, is a loosing proposition and just leads to more Conrails. Pundits and Consultants, some well known in Trains, have advocated downsizing and hauling only bulk commodities for almost as long as I've been reading the magazine. Why is CSX such a mess and what are they saying should be done about it? <br /> <br />Regarding the PNW, I wi***he governor luck, but wonder what he's been smoking. The dominant school of economics for the past 30 years has favored de-regulation, privatization, and little or no interference in pricing or profits. The powers that be have shown no interest in controlling prices of prescription drugs or imposing price caps or profits taxes on oil. The state of California with many times the population and GDP of Montana sued the FERC over electric rates and the Adminstration and Justice sided with the FERC and California lost the case. The former Enron execs are on trial for Investor fraud, not defrauding their customers. One possible end result for the PNW could be the complete elimination of the STB and rate regulation. The new Supreme Court would likely go along.
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