BALKANIZATION IN THE RAILROAD INDUSTRY

Balkanization prevades almost every aspect of railroading, according to the author. Individual managements seem to regard other railroads as their most dangerous rivals; it is tragic that the railroad industry, which faces acute external challenges to its survival, should be caught up in diverting, divisive and destructive interrailroad competition. Managers have little time or incentive to work on problems and opportuities that are industry-wide in character. While suggesting that industry leadership might change this, the author proposes a restructuring of U.S. rail lines into four or five systems, all of which would serve most major metropolitan areas.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper is from Transportation in Focus, Proceedings of the Fifteenth Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Forum, San Francisco, California, 10-12 October 1974.
• Corporate Authors:

  Cross (Richard B) Company

  Oxford, Indiana,   United States  47971
• Authors:
  • Morton, A L
• Publication Date: 1974

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 14-17
• Serial:
  • Publication of: Cross (Richard B) Company
  • Volume: 15
  • Issue Number: 1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Competition; Cooperation; Industry structure; Railroads; Reorganization; Routing; Transportation planning
• Old TRIS Terms: Route rationalization
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00072719
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Forum
• Report/Paper Numbers: Proc Paper
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 9 1975 12:00AM