The Long-Term Availability of Railroads Services for U.S. Agriculture

Future customer demands, service availability, and industry investment decisions will shape the modal marketing decisions of the grain marketing sector. The Delphi survey technique is used to engage a cross-section of grain industry experts in sharing opinions regarding future trends for service, investment and marketing in the grain marketing sector. The survey produces several interesting expectations, including (1) further consolidation of the rail and elevator industries, (2) increasing prominence of the HAL cars in grain service, (3) an increase in rail rates from 1 to 4 percent annually over the next decade, (4) expanded use of shuttle/efficiency rail programs for major grains, (5) an increased use of market-based car ordering systems, (6) growth of the short line rail network, and (7) small market-scale, but large volume, increases in the share of grain marketed via container. The insights are valuable in understanding the future of the rail grain industry. These expert opinions will be considered in future research and discussions regarding longer-term implications government policy and market investment decisions in the rail grain sector.

• Record URL:
  https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/17000/17600/17641/PB2001102716.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/details.php?id=361
• 
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/64702
• Corporate Authors:

  Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute

  North Dakota State University
  1320 Albrecht Boulevard
  Fargo, ND  United States  581052

  Department of Agriculture

  1400 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20250
• Authors:
  • Vachal, Kimberly
  • Bitzan, John
• Publication Date: 2000-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 61p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Agriculture; Axle load force; Consolidations; Container traffic; Demand; Future; Grain; Grain elevators; Investments; Marketing; Railroad cars; Railroads; Rates; Short line railroads; Trend (Statistics)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Railroad car ordering
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Finance; Freight Transportation; Railroads; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01088796
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 25 2008 2:36PM