Edit post

Edit your reply below.

Post Body
Enter your post below.
Mark, I think what needs to be culled from this discussion is not the perception of nostalgia (though some may participate on that reason), but that we as a nation must learn from the past if we are to plan for the future. The case of the Milwaukee road brings to the forefront several points which may provide guidance for future transportation intrastructure planning, including but not limited to: 1. Given the influence UP and BN had over the eventual demise of the Milwaukee, perhaps it is best that no one with ties to the railroad industry be allowed to sit on the STB, nor be allowed to take a position with any railroad after being a member of the STB. Does anyone still deny that elimination of competition is the sole reason someone from railroad A would be allowed to give advice and consent on the fate of struggling railroad B? 2. In the same vein, it seems the STB only judges the viability of a railroad based on the here and now, not on the needs of the future. Even if the judgement of the trustee at the time was mostly correct that the Milwaukee represented excess capacity (still a debatable issue), do these guys not have the ability to look 10 or 25 years down the road? Given current traffic levels and rejected business opportunities based on maxed capacity, we could use another railroad or two to take up the slack. 3. Isn't the purpose of the STB to protect regions from monopolistic practices, rather than simply protecting the interests of railroad stockholders? When the Milwaukee was allowed to retrench in 1980, it left most of the Northern Tier states at the mercy of a single dominant railroad, and the predictable result of predatory pricing has come to fruition as a result. This is a situation that still begs for correction, and should not be simply swept under the rug under the guise of it being simply economics at work. Politics maybe, but not economics. The Milwaukee case is the poster child for STB incompetence and dereliction of duty. 4. Do not underestimate the potential for a new line being formed by a consolidation of Northern Tier regionals such as MRL and DM&E, along with state-sponsored or even private ressurection of parts of the original Milwaukee corridor into a new Northern Transcontinental. Unless one can beg to differ, we've already established the fact of UP and BNSF having more business than they can handle, so there is new business to be had both now and in the future. Couple that with the disgust the region's politicians and shippers have for the current duopoly, and you have a case for new entry into the market. It is still a long shot, but the fundamentals are in place at this time to make it a reality.
Tags (Optional)
Tags are keywords that get attached to your post. They are used to categorize your submission and make it easier to search for. To add tags to your post type a tag into the box below and click the "Add Tag" button.
Add Tag