"MAN ON THE MOVE"...WITH TOMORROW'S RAILROAD

America's railroads today serve 45,000 communities on approximately 200,000 miles of rail line; have a national freight car fleet of 1.75 million cars; move the freight car fleet with 30,000 locomotive units with a total generating power of 50 million horsepower; employ approximately 600,000 persons that results in an annual payroll and fringes approaching $7 billion; make annual purchases of approximately $5 billion; in addition to payroll and fringes, pay annual taxes of $500 million; maintain a plant with a replacement cost new less depreciation of over $30 billion, but if rebuilt from scratch would cost over $100 billion. With all of this the American railroads handle approximately 3750 ton-miles for every person. Tomorrow's railroad will be required to haul an estimated 5000 ton-miles per person. The railroads are accepting tomorrow's challenge and are totally committed to accommodate its burgeoning population with all its social problems and needs.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contributed by the Intersociety Committee on Transportation for presentation at the Intersociety Conference on Transportation, Denver, Colo., Sept. 23-27, 1973.
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Mechanical Engineers

  Two Park Avenue
  New York, NY  United States  10016-5990
• Authors:
  • Fisher, F G
• Publication Date: 1973-9

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: 11 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Forecasting; Freight service; Railroad equipment industry
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Freight Transportation; Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00051419
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ASME Journal of Mechanical Engineering
• Report/Paper Numbers: 73-ICT-95 Paper
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 9 1974 12:00AM