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[Anonymous]

I think abandening Railroads is a mistake.The more we put on the road the more we put in the air.Plus ther is history in Railroads.

[nanaimo73]

[#welcome]
There are some old rail lines that need to be abandoned. If a line goes to a mine or a factory that is closed down, then the railroad should abandon the line and use those rails somewhere else. The railroads also have to pay taxes on lines, if they use them or not. They could use those dollars to buy new locomotives.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Lines are abandoned primarily for lack of business as mentioned above. Those of us who are old enough to remember the abandonment of the North Shore Line in 1963 will recall that it was running a full schedule of passenger trains but was also losing money by the bucketload; there was insufficient freight revenue to cover passenger losses.

[Anonymous]

I agree that some lines need to be abandend but sometimes it is a mistake.In Houston for exsample the old I-10 Katy line chuld have ben used to serve new indistrys but insted of encoreging indestry to build they built new homes next to it so they thore it up.I belive there shuld be tax diductions to beznises who use rail that will encerage more rail use and prevent abandements.It will also help congestion and the enviroment.

[txhighballer]

When the UP sold the Katy main,they did it for the money,thinking that they would not need it since they had the Sunset Route. Then came the meltdown and the realization that they could have used that capacity for rock trains and low-priority manifest freight.
Getting out of houston woul dhave been much easier if they had the foresight to just keep it.

[cnw4001]

As has been noted, it's about money.

Railroads are private businesses and when a line doesn't make money or serve as a needed feed to lines which do make money, they are abanded.

Like any decision, sometmes they turn out less than desired but when the stockholders are only intersted in the latest quarterly dividend, the pressure is on to keep increasing value and non productive inventory is quickly removed.

[Anonymous]

The Railroads shuld do more banking.If they build trails on there right of ways they are preserving them for futre use.It makes much more sense then building roads on them and losing the right of way.

[trainboyH16-44]

That is a good point, the right of ways is still there, and it's a trail for all to enjoy. The Kettle Valley Railway in British Columbia is a great example of this, though it is doubtful that it will ever see another train.

[Randy Stahl]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CSSHEGEWISCH

Lines are abandoned primarily for lack of business as mentioned above. Those of us who are old enough to remember the abandonment of the North Shore Line in 1963 will recall that it was running a full schedule of passenger trains but was also losing money by the bucketload; there was insufficient freight revenue to cover passenger losses.

Or it was made to appear that the the railroad was losing money. The Susquahanna Co made the railroad a lucrative write off even though the railroads financed the companys other projects .
Randy

[AztecEagle]

eee:Lemme Guess,U Were Home Skooled,right?

[DSchmitt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by eeee

The Railroads shuld do more banking.If they build trails on there right of ways they are preserving them for futre use.It makes much more sense then building roads on them and losing the right of way.

Have any trails been returned to rail? I would think the outcry would be horrendous.

[Anonymous]

Anther alternative whuld be to use the lines as camuterrail.

[nanaimo73]

eeee,
Do you live near Houston ?
The Southern Pacific abandoned a line near there a long time ago and now KCS wants to put the rails back in. It goes from Rosenburg to Victoria.

[rrandb]

Railroads make decisions based on the best interest of the railroad "period". If they did not opperate this way there would be much less of these rails you miss than there are now. Almost always the property is put up for sale to the highest bider. If there is any chance to make a go of it then it will become a short line and remain a railroad. If not its scap iron and real estate.[2c]