CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS IN THE RAILROADS--THE NEXT TWENTY YEARS

While past decades have seen vast investment in transportation facilities with no apparent concern for coordination of modes, setting of priorities or assessing long-range impacts on the environment and fuel supply, the growing shortage of capital is forcing reappraisal. The author examines transportation challenges facing Canada over the next two decades, predicting that a large proportion of traffic and exports will continue to be based on natural resources which create low-value bulk commodities that need low-cost overland transport which rail is best able to provide. He describes Canadian National's predictive processes, noting that governments have taken over much of the decision making that was previously in the hands of those who owned capital. He calls for prompt decision on resource development in order that transport facilities can be in place.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Presented at the Seventeenth Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Forum, Beyond the Bicentennial: The Transportation Challenge, held in Boston, Massachusetts, October 28-30, 1976.
• Corporate Authors:

  Cross (Richard B) Company

  Oxford, Indiana,   United States  47971
• Authors:
  • Spicer, J H
• Publication Date: 1976

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 551-54
• Serial:
  • Publication of: Cross (Richard B) Company

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Capital investments; Decision making; Financial capital; Forecasting; Freight traffic; Management; Planning; Policy; Traffic forecasting; Transportation planning
• Identifier Terms: Canadian National; Canadian National Railways
• Geographic Terms: Canada
• Old TRIS Terms: Government policies; Management planning
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Freight Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Policy; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00142946
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Proceeding
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 15 1976 12:00AM