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Pleasant Prairie coal coming in by barge
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Obviously, this proves that the Pleasant Prairie coal plant is captive (insert sarcastic smilie here). Otherwise they could just turn to an alternative Class I, or at least do as tomtrain suggests and have the utility run a short haul shuttle train between port and plant using older but still servicable 264k hoppers. But as usual what occurs under rail captivity is that the shipper is forced into using the transport mode of last resort, at a much higher cost to its customers. <br /> <br />Actually, what it proves is that the closed access rail system is resulting in a growing occurance of economic inefficiencies. This is just the latest example of railroads causing wasteful actions rather than ameliorating them. <br /> <br />Could it be that the closed access rail system is causing an increase in supply chain fuel usage rather than providing an overall decrease in supply chain fuel use? It certainly looks that way, and if so, why should the nation continue to tolerate this needless wastefulness of critical fuel supplies? <br /> <br />As per numerous posts from the last few years, here in the PNW we have had a few examples of short haul shuttle trains that use the older cars for hauling grain from farm elevators to a barge port. Both the Class I's bailed out on this higher revenue transport option, but luckily a few of the shortline operators have availed themselves of this concept, and since the short haul shuttle trains only have trucks as the logical competition (since shorthaul is the truckers specialty) the railroads can charge a higher ton/mile rate than those glorified long haul unit trains running on the Class I's. When you consider that long haul unit trains typically charge $0.02 - 0.03 per ton mile, while these short haul shuttles are charging $0.07 - 0.08 per ton mile, anyone can see where the real profit potential lies. It all comes down to revenue ton/miles per annum. <br /> <br />When the Mensa rejects at BN took out the only key rail link between commodity supply points and the main barge port, they both stabbed the local economy in the back and short sold themselves in the process. That's why we have hundreds per day of trucks hauling grain and wood chips in similar short haul corridors (<100 miles) as the Pleasant Prairie example, corridors that once hosted steel rails between the same points. <br /> <br />
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