Edit post

Edit your reply below.

Post Body
Enter your post below.
[quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by futuremodal [quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by Murphy Siding [quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by futuremodal [quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by TomDiehl [quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by futuremodal The cost of keeping rails in place is a fraction of what it costs to rebuild an abandoned line or build a whole new line. Keeping a line mothballed for 20 or 30 years is much less costly than having to rebuild that line after abandonment. [/quote] But again, you're talking about a cost to a railroad that doesn't have enough money to pay the bills for the part that is operating. And the idea that you'll need a given line in 20 or 30 years is pure speculation. When your company is teetering on bankruptcy, you can't afford to speculate. [/quote] So were all the railroads teetering on bankruptcy when they engaged in whole hearted retrenchment? [/quote] No, but they were all lacking that crystal ball that told them which lines to keep, and which one to pitch. So, they did the only thing that anyone (you included) would have done. They analized current traffic, and predictable future business. They did what they felt was correct at the time, based on what they knew at the time-the same as you, or any other person would have had to do. To suggest otherwise, isn't quite realistic. [/quote] So how is it the railroads all got it so wrong, while every other freight transportation mode got it right and continued to expand and accumulate assets? [/quote] Would you be referring to the air freight industry that teeters along from one handout to the next and requires government paid FAA ATC? Or perhaps the trucking industry that couldn't turn a wheel competitively without the Interstates and with a few exceptions loses more companies each year than it gains? Perhaps you're speaking of the barge lines and their many miles of government built and maintained canal and river systems?? Wjere are all those accumulated assets again? When was the last time you owned shares in a pure trucking company that paid a dividend or offered shareholders any long term investment value? Ditto for the airlines? Barge lines aren't even available as a pure play because some other part of the business is carrying them... Apparently, your education isn't in "applied" economics...
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