Freight trains make big comeback in nation's transportation network

[richg1998]

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-rail3-2010jan03,0,27378.story

 Rich

[garyla]

Good article on the rail industry.  It was informative for people who don't have the RRs on their radar screen, and read like it was written by someone who did his homework.

The L. A. Times, to which I have refused to subscribe for about 30 years, gets credit here for a good one.

[Metro Red Line]

 Aw man, I was gonna post the link to the LA Times story (It's the front-page story on the Sunday Edition with a nice photo)! Ya beat me to it! :)

 Here's the front page photo though:

Caption: A BNSF train makes its way through the freight yard in Barstow. Warren Buffett paid $34 billion for the railroad giant in November, calling his investment an "all-in wager on the economic future of the United States." (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times / September 30, 2009)

Here's a link to the story's photo gallery (warning: BNSF porn :)) http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-rail3-2010jan03-pictures,0,1777683.photogallery

 

[richg1998]

I have noticed an increase in traffic where I live. A friend has a mobile hot dog stand about 25 feet from the two track CSX mainline in West Springfield MA. It is right next to the old railroad station which is now a church. This is a short way from the West Springfield yard so he has some great train watching days.

There is a crossing there also and sometimes the locos block the crossing for almost and hour at times. That affects his business. I was there about three weeks ago since it was warmer than usual.

Some freights can have five locos and be about ninety cars long. Amtrak comes though there also.

This summer, I will take a folding chair and sit nearby at lunch since I an retired.

Oh, the Big E railroad show is a short ways away in West Springfield the end of this month.

Rich

[BT CPSO 266]

Very well written article. I think they could have mentioned growing domestic intermodal traffic but this article at least mentions that it's not manifest and coal trains carrying the industry anymore. Finally written prof to show my friends that just because there are not any Walmart trailers on trains, doesn't mean that they weren't hauling goods that end up there.

I hope intermodal traffic continues to grow in the eastern US to. I am concerned what is going to happen after the Panama Canal is finished. Trains could invest in speeding up trains to get the cargo faster to the eastern half of the country than a ship. Most of the ports are not upgraded to handle the bigger ships. I think New Orleans is the port to upgrade since the Crescent Corridor is almost finished. It may be the easiest in terms of traffic flow. 

 

I don't want Rich's thread to go off topic about the LA Times Article with my option, if you want to further discuss the Panama Canal upgrades, There is already a thread discussing the topic.

 "New Orleans & Gulf Ports Key to CSX & NS?"

[schlimm]

If that is true, I wonder how all that squares with this comment from an old thread (Datafever in "Open Access" in 2006):

The STB has found that NS is the only class 1 railroad that is revenue adequate, which means generating sufficient revenue to not only covering operating costs and maintenance costs, but also the future cost of replacing depreciating assets and building additional capacity.  What we are seeing today is a railroad system that is falling apart because the cost of replacing track is exceedingly high, and maintenance can only do so much to keep the trains rolling.  While the railroad industry may be in much better health than it was 20 years ago, it still has a long way to go to get to the point of being a "strong and powerful rail industry".

[richg1998]

schlimm

If that is true, I wonder how all that squares with this comment from an old thread (Datafever in "Open Access" in 2006):

The STB has found that NS is the only class 1 railroad that is revenue adequate, which means generating sufficient revenue to not only covering operating costs and maintenance costs, but also the future cost of replacing depreciating assets and building additional capacity.  What we are seeing today is a railroad system that is falling apart because the cost of replacing track is exceedingly high, and maintenance can only do so much to keep the trains rolling.  While the railroad industry may be in much better health than it was 20 years ago, it still has a long way to go to get to the point of being a "strong and powerful rail industry".

 

That is very old news. This is 2010. The railroad industry is continually evolving.

Rich

[oltmannd]

BT CPSO 266

since the Crescent Corridor is almost finished.

Say what? Most of the projects along the corridor are at least a year off....

[BT CPSO 266]

oltmannd

BT CPSO 266

since the Crescent Corridor is almost finished.

Say what? Most of the projects along the corridor are at least a year off....

 

 

I guess I just have a different definition on almost done. Considering this is a multiple year project; it is in the latter part of the project schedule. At least it will be finish before the Panama Canal upgrades are finished. 

[BT CPSO 266]

schlimm

If that is true, I wonder how all that squares with this comment from an old thread (Datafever in "Open Access" in 2006):

The STB has found that NS is the only class 1 railroad that is revenue adequate, which means generating sufficient revenue to not only covering operating costs and maintenance costs, but also the future cost of replacing depreciating assets and building additional capacity.  What we are seeing today is a railroad system that is falling apart because the cost of replacing track is exceedingly high, and maintenance can only do so much to keep the trains rolling.  While the railroad industry may be in much better health than it was 20 years ago, it still has a long way to go to get to the point of being a "strong and powerful rail industry".

 

 

I think they are also planning on Federal and state partnerships to help them with the upgrades like how NS is able to fund it's Crescent Corridor project.

[schlimm]

richg1998

That is very old news. This is 2010. The railroad industry is continually evolving.

Rich

 

I know the time too.  The GAO study on the SUB could not be totally out of date, however.  It was a pretty thorough study and I seriously doubt that all has evolved to be so rosy in three years.

[Sunnyland]

Great article and I'm glad to hear it.  Like Mom always said "keep the RR's running so I can keep getting my Railroad Retirement checks."  She got one for her own service with Frisco and one as Dad's widow. The only reason I didn't go to work for Frisco was they had moved a lot of their office staff to Springfield, MO and I didn't want to go down there to work.

[bubbajustin]

Awesome article on the railroad comeback!

Need to see more articles like this in papers around the country.

Justin

[Railway Man]

BT CPSO 266

oltmannd

BT CPSO 266

since the Crescent Corridor is almost finished.

Say what? Most of the projects along the corridor are at least a year off....

 

 

I guess I just have a different definition on almost done. Considering this is a multiple year project; it is in the latter part of the project schedule. At least it will be finish before the Panama Canal upgrades are finished. 

 

It is not even funded.  How are you certain it will be finished before the Canal improvements are finished.

RWM

[BT CPSO 266]

Railway Man

It is not even funded.  How are you certain it will be finished before the Canal improvements are finished.

What? I thought work has already started. Isn't it scheduled to be finished by 2013 (hopefully) and the Panama Canal upgrades are not supposed to be finished till 2015. Now construction delays are inevitable but I am not certain the Corridor will be finished before the canal but it is probable.

[Railway Man]

This may provide some illumination:

http://www.rtands.com/newsflash/stimulus-funds-may-help-ns-complete-its-crescent-corridor-project.html

I am not sure how you've connected this project with the Panama Canal expansion.  The two have never been related to my knowledge.  I have never heard anyone in the rail industry or at the State DOTs mention the Panama Canal as a source of traffic for the corridor.  The source of traffic is what's already on the highways!

New Orleans is not a viable port for high-TEU ships, building a new port would cost several billions, there is no funding committed to such a port, there are severe obstacles to obtaining the permits for any location one might think about in the Delta, the New Orleans Terminal would itself require several billions in investment to increase capacity.

But all that aside, and even if you had the port sitting right there with fuel in the tanks of the yard goats, and all the rail infrastructure all built, gators would have little fear of being trisected by a train as it would be a higher-cost and slower route than simply running the ship right up the Eastern Seaboard to where the boxes want to go, which is primarily New York City and the Northeast.

RWM

 

[BT CPSO 266]

The Crescent Corridor primary purpose is to relieve truck traffic on the interstates I 100% agree with. I just think maybe some container traffic could come through from the Canal. Your right New Orleans ports are not upgraded for the bigger ships, but so are many to the eastern ports as well. One has to look at dock capacity too. I don't know; It could be a possibility that New Orleans may look into it. If they don't think it's a good investment then so be it. I just think if New Orleans wants to upgrade their ports and with the speedy Crescent Corridor I could be a viable option. I mean one has to look at capacity and traffic flow issues in the New York area.

[chicagorails]

obama as president he wants more shipped on rail cause its greener,ie less polution and oil dependence,yep. one good thing about our chief.