ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF PAST EXPERIENCE IN RATIONALIZING RAILROAD NETWORKS

Railroad network rationalization constitutes a process of adjusting the size and configuration of the railroad plant and its utilization in conformity with current and prospective volumes of traffic to obtain optimum efficiency in costs and levels of service. This report reviews the nature and scope of prior efforts to rationalize rail networks, including the Transportation Act of 1920, the Emergency Transportation Act of 1933, abandonments, mergers, and rail-highway coordination. It has been found that, in most respects, these prior schemes have either failed entirely or have achieved less than their anticipated success. Numerous opportunities for improving industry performance have been hampered by interfirm rivalries, managerial insensitivity, employee organizations' opposition, and regulatory constraints imposed by statute or by directive. A recognition both of these restraining factors and of the potential benefits should advance the rationalization process in the future.

• Corporate Authors:

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  Transportation Systems Division
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02139

  Department of Transportation

  Office of University Research, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Sloss, J
  • Humphrey, T J
  • Krutter, F N
• Publication Date: 1975-3

Media Info

• Pagination: 212 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Abandonment; Branch lines; Consolidations; Coordination; Cost engineering; Economic development; Highway transportation; Industry structure; Lines of track; Management; Mergers; Motor carriers; Optimization; Quality of service; Railroad transportation; Railroads; Regulations; Relocation (Facilities); Routes; Socioeconomic factors; Transportation; Transportation operations; Transportation planning; Utilization; Work rules
• Uncontrolled Terms: Industrial development; Relocation; Transportation management; Transportation routes
• Old TRIS Terms: Government regulations; Line relocation
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Economics; Law; Society; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00092294
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: MIT-R74-54 Final Rpt., DOT/TST-75/77
• Contract Numbers: DOT-OS-40002
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Nov 5 1976 12:00AM