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    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
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    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
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      <title>RAILROAD COSTS: HOW MUCH IS VITAL QUESTION FOR SHIPPERS AND CARRIERS</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/172879</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Uniform Rail Costing System (URCS), an outgrowth of the 4-R Act, is being developed by ICC as a means of establishing a reasonable level for freight rates and for determining if ICC even has jurisdiction over the rates in the first place.  The refined costing methodology also will have a role in railroads' attempts to apply a surcharge or cancel a joint rate.  URCS is replacing Rail Form A costing, in use for 40 years.  The computerized cost methodologies for URCS will produce averages for any railroad or region which may then be adjusted to obtain more specific costs with justification for such adjustments.  URCS does not compute an exact cost for an individual shipment and, like Form A, is past- and not future-oriented.  The steps in the new procedure are explained.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 16 Sep 1981 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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      <title>DEREG ANALYSIS</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/167748</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Staggers Rail Act of 1980 is moving U.S. railroads into a new environment governed much more by competition and the principles of economics, a significant change from the regulated atmosphere that has prevailed for this century. Three articles analyze this new, less-regulated era. Loosening the Grip by F.S. Mitchell discusses the rate-making freedom which finds mixed reaction from shippers and optimism on the part of railroads.  We Now Have the Tools by F. E. Shaffer examines contract rates; railroads are urging shippers to shop around but they must now have knowledge of their exact costs.  Variable Costs Unlocking the Future by B. Paul describes the revenue-to-variable-cost ratio which gained an institutional role in the Staggers Act, telling why it is so important along with the ratio of variable-to-fixed costs.  The Uniform Rail Costing System is replacing the Rail Form A method for determining costs.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 12 Jun 1981 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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      <title>ICC RELEASES COMPUTER PROGRAMS FOR NEW RAIL COST ACCOUNTING SYSTEM</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/165419</link>
      <description><![CDATA[URCS, developed by the ICC Bureau of Accounts and its Section of Systems Development, replaces the Rail Form A to determine the cost of providing freight service for rate making purposes. URCS programs, written in Fortran 10, are run on a DEC-10 computer but can be programmed for other types. URCS Phase I encompasses statistical regression and analysis; Phase II contains worktables based on 1978 data from all Class I railroads. The required rail data base for all reporting Class I railroads is also available.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 06 Feb 1981 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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      <title>THE ECONOMIC REGULATION OF WESTERN COAL TRANSPORTATION: AN UNNECESSARY CONFLICT BETWEEN NATIONAL ENERGY AND TRANSPORTATION POLICIES</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/156446</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This report evaluates Interstate Commerce Commission regulation of railroad transportation of western coal, also addressing the National Energy Plan's goal of encouraging major users of fuel oil and natural gas to embark upon coal conversion programs.  Special emphasis is given to implications for the State of Texas.  It is concluded that ICC Rail Form A costing is not applicable to coal movements, that Section 205 of the 4R Act should not be used to permit an entire railroad's net investment to be used for establishing a reasonable return on a specific movement and for using differential pricing, that Section 202 of the 4R Act covering market dominance and maximum rate regulation may be interpreted to permit monopolistic pricing, and that factors other than rail freight tariffs may also discourage the increase in domestic coal production and consumption.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 30 Dec 1980 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/156446</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE IN REGULATED INDUSTRIES</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/22941</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This book examines technological change in the regulated industries, including electric power, communications, and air and surface transportation.  One complete chapter is devoted to surface transportation.  This chapter examines several specific cases, including the relationship of Rail Form A costs on the long piggyback flatcar, and the Big John Grain Rates case.  The chapter also looks at mergers and at highway and inland waterway transportation.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 22 Apr 1975 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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