EFFECTS OF THE PROPOSED NORTHEAST-MIDWEST RAIL REORGANIZATION ON RURAL AREAS

This is a report on the study undertaken to evaluate the impacts on agriculture and rural development likely to result from rail service changes resulting from the Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1973. The study primarily examines potential impacts on established firms using rail service at 100 rural rail stations, each of which is on line failing to meet standardized tests of financial viability. The study shows abandonment impacts are likely to affect established agribusiness and nonagricultural industries somewhat differently. Farmers and consumers are not considered likely to suffer overall adverse effects. There is also a case study of two recent abandonments in Midwest farming areas with effects of abandonment difficult to generalize.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Prepared in cooperation with Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA and the FRA, DOT, for the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry hearing, March 24, 1975.
• Corporate Authors:

  Department of Agriculture

  Economic Research Service
  Washington, DC  United States  20250
• Publication Date: 1975

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 74 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Abandonment; Agricultural products; Benefit cost analysis; Branch lines; Forecasting; Freight traffic; Socioeconomic factors; Traffic forecasting; Traffic managers
• Uncontrolled Terms: Shippers
• Old TRIS Terms: Agricultural traffic; Regional rail reorganization act
• Subject Areas: Economics; Freight Transportation; Railroads; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00141430
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Cong. Rpt.
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 3 1976 12:00AM