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2006 - The Year of Re-Regulation of Railroads?

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Of course, we're drifting away from the subject heading, but for what it's worth here's a few suggestions to raise average speeds within the constraints of the current culture: (1)Implement directional running where possible, even if it means cooperating with another railroad to achieve this end. The WP and SP did it in Nevada. BNSF and UP could do it between Spokane and the Tri-Cities/Wallula area. BNSF has the necessary redudancy through the Northern Tier states to do this. And doesn't UP do directional running along parts of the Southern Tier? (2)As per (1) above, require all trains to run at the maximum allowable speed. If that means requiring a minimum hp/ton ratio to achieve this, than so be it. It makes no sense to have a 79 mph stretch of track only to have some heavy tonnage bumbling along at 35 mph in that zone. (3)If indeed shorter trains can achieve over the line speeds that a longer train cannot, then shorten the trains to achieve this end. If that means 1 man crews to make up for ostensible increases in labor costs, then find a way to do it. The unions may go for some form of 1 man crew if it results in increased employment opportunities, and the necessary incentive/safety backup is implemented, such as a shorter work day at the same pay rate as a longer work day, pay the 1 man crew the equivalent of a 1.5 man crew, and/or require an incab video assist. The railroad should be able to achieve an increase in revenue via higher revenue carloads per year to more than offset the increase in per man labor costs. And shorter consists means cars spend less time dwelling in yards. (4) In what may need FRA approval, implement GPS to supercede lineside signals or the lack thereof. GPS would result in incredible efficiency gains, what is needed is a way to combine GPS with in cab signalling. Being able to bunch trains closer together means greater line utilization. Beyond those suggestions, I would point out that even a partial shift to bi-modal operations can achieve tremendous line speed increases. The problem is that bi-modal operations are diametrically opposed to the trend toward HAL. For the longer term, someone needs to step back and analyze whether HAL is indeed in the best inerests of railroads. Is HAL counterintuitive to the concept of JIT, after all JIT is the continuing trend for the supply chain? Is HAL counterintuitive to the concept of premium priced TOFC? Do we really need HAL doublestacks, if most containers only max out a well at 160,000 lbs? Isn't it counterintuitive to oppose increased GVW for trucks, yet want to increase load factors for domestic COFC and TOFC? As for heavier cars, the railroads did just fine with the six and either axle "rail whales" which were subsequently banned by the FRA based on possible damage to bridges and other structures, yet HAL would put the very same stress on structures as the spread axle loads! At least the rail whales fit into the higher speed infrastructure characteristics since their average axle loadings were still at 33 tons, so we could still have greater superelevation on curves than the HAL allow. As for re-regulation, I would think if such were to occur it would probably be a blanket requirement for all rates to be reflective of the 180% R/VC standard. This would raise rates for import intermodal, but lower rates for domestic coal and grain movements. The question then is, can the railroads survive without the ability to gouge captive shippers? As for the argument that a blanket 180% R/VC standard would kill infrastructure investments, we already know that most infrastructure investments are going to those lanes where rates are less than 180% R/VC. Of BNSF's capital improvement plan, only one aspect of that plan is addressing PRB coal corridors, the rest goes to intermodal lanes. Maybe if those intermodal lanes are forced to pay for themselves..........
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