STUDIES IN RAILROAD OPERATIONS AND ECONOMICS. RAILROAD RATIONALIZATION: BACKGROUND STUDY OF THE MIDWEST

Rapid increases in costs, particularly the cost of capital and of freight cars, continue to make a midwest rail crisis likely. This report endeavors to show what the railroads and the federal government can and should do to restructure this rail system into a viable business enterprise. The report's recommendations are based upon studies of aggregate financial, operating, and marketing information for CRIP, MILW, C&NW, ICG, BN, ATSF SOO, and MP, focussing on the region between Chicago, Milwaukee, Twin Cities, Omaha, Kansas City, and St. Louis. Rationalization of operations and facilities in this region could, if combined with traffic growth, restore the financial health of railroads in this region. The report provides estimates of the likely potential for improvements resulting from a number of rationalization possibilities. A separate chapter is devoted in the Chicago-Omaha corridor, frequently cited as a glaring example of the need for line consolidation.

• Corporate Authors:

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  Department of Civil Engineering, 77 Massachusetts Avenue
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02139
• Authors:
  • French, P W
  • Brigham, T
  • Brown, T
  • Martland, C D
  • Sussman, J M
• Publication Date: 1977-4

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 290 p.
• Serial:
  • Volume: 22

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Abandonment; Bankruptcy; Consolidations; Corridors; Industry structure; Joint use; Profitability
• Identifier Terms: Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company; BNSF Railway; Chicago and North Western Transportation Company; Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad; Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad; Illinois Central Gulf Railroad; Missouri Pacific Railroad; Soo Line Railroad Company
• Geographic Terms: Midwestern States
• Old TRIS Terms: Joint facilities; Soo line railroad
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Finance; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00182823
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Report/Paper Numbers: MIT-R77-14 Final Rpt.
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 31 1978 12:00AM