RAILROAD TRACK PRODUCTIVITY: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

This study demonstrates that the U.S. Class 1 railroad freight industry is saving $7 billion annually in maintenance-of-way (MOW) expenditures due to advancements in track productivity from the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s. MOW expenses over this time increased 6 percent (in constant dollars), but costs per revenue ton-mile dropped 39 percent and costs per gross ton-mile declined 28 percent. All of this occurred during a period where the demands on the track structure increased dramatically: revenue traffic volume increased 73 percent and the weight of the average freight carload increased 31 percent. By using mathematical extrapolation techniques to project costs from historical data, estimates of the savings originating from the four factors were calculated.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Features: References; Tables;
  • Pagination: p. 105-118
  • Serial:

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00741292
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Oct 31 1997 12:00AM