INDUSTRY CAPABILITY TO PRODUCE RAIL AND CROSSTIES FOR NATIONWIDE RAILROAD TRACK REHABILITATION

If a nationwide track rehabilitation program is undertaken, either by providing direct Federal financial assistance to the railroads or by the Government taking over the roadbeds, the adequacy of supplies of rail and ties is crucial. If the rehabilitation time frame is short, Congress could encourage production of large quantities of track to be rehabilitated and by guaranteeing the purchase of minimum orders of rail and crossties. GAO illustrated the industry's capacity by studying 25 Class I railroads, estimating the rail and crossties needed to put the nation's track in a secure condition over 10-, 15- and 20-year periods. Present level of rail production is insufficient for normal maintenance, domestic suppliers are reluctant to expand and imported rail could become important. Wooden crosstie supply should be adequate but will be subjected to higher price pressures.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This report was requested by the Chairman, Subcommittee on Federal Spending Practices, Efficiency and Open Government, Senate Committee on Government Operations.
• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. General Accounting Office

  441 G Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20548
• Publication Date: 1976-9-23

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Photos;
• Pagination: 49 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Maintenance of way; Policy; Purchasing; Shortages; Steel plants; Wood; Wood ties
• Old TRIS Terms: Government policies; Wood shortage; Wooden cross ties
• Subject Areas: Freight Transportation; Policy; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00141683
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: CED-76-150 Cong. Rpt.
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 23 1976 12:00AM