EFFECT OF RAIL SWITCHING ON INTERMODAL TRANSFER CAPACITY

During the 1980s American railroads entered into a new technological era which some consider to be making a far greater change than the conversion from steam to diesel locomotives. This change occurred in the basic elements of freight handling and distribution: the deregulation of intermodal freight and the railroads to usher in new marketing strategies in order to become more competitive with the trucking industry. For over a century boxcars provided the standard vehicle for transporting general goods. Just after the turn of the century, some railroads began using containers and piggyback trailers for less than car load and special shipments. Gradually more of this intermodal transport was being used by railroads, and by the late seventies, railroads began to reserve entire trains for intermodal traffic.

• Corporate Authors:

  Naval Postgraduate School

  1 University Circle
  Monterey, CA  United States  93943
• Authors:
  • Killinger, S
• Publication Date: 1990-8-6

Media Info

• Pagination: 79 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Competition; Deregulation; Economics; Freight handling; Freight transportation; Intermodal transfer; Intermodal transportation; Railroad transportation; Trucking
• Subject Areas: Economics; Freight Transportation; Highways; Motor Carriers; Planning and Forecasting; Railroads; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00610657
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 30 1991 12:00AM