Midyear Report: America Takes the Train and Railroads are Enjoying the Ride

As the rest of the economy plummets, this article reports that times are good for the railroads. Stock performance for Class 1s has reached all-time highs, and railroads have continued to raise their rates over the past year due to the commodity boom. And while the trucking industry has been hit hard by fuel costs, rising fuel prices have had less impact on railroads than other forms of transportation. One railroad executive is quoted as saying that despite a prolonged business downturn, railroads have continued to handle high volumes and are posting better financial results year after year. Passenger rail travel has gone up across the board—intercity, commuter, rapid transit, light rail--and around the nation, as well. Amtrak ridership is up nearly 12 percent, and many trains are fully booked. At the same time, the Federal Highway Administration reports vehicle miles on the nation’s roads dropped by 2.3 percent in the first quarter of the year. Included in the Midyear Report is an article in which the author suggests that a modal shift is underway. Rising fuel costs are leading to higher fuel surcharges charges, and there is growing evidence that shippers are switching to intermodal service. In another article in the Midyear Report, the author contends that a modern passenger rail system will only come about as a result of a transportation-related national crisis. The author relates that various milestones in the U.S. transportation infrastructure were achieved because of transportation crises. Examples, such as the formation of the Union Pacific Railroad, the building and expansion of commercial airports, the formation of the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Interstate Highway System, are given to support the author's thesis. Additional articles included look at the railroad and trucking industries' battles over truck size and weight legislation, and the upcoming November 2008 election and the impact it will have on the railroad industry.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1586268
• Authors:
  • Vantuono, William C
  • Kaufman, Lawrence H
  • Seidl, Jason H
  • Brewin, Nicole
  • Plous, F K
• Publication Date: 2008-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: pp 24-26
• Serial:
  • Railway Age
  • Volume: 209
  • Issue Number: 7
  • Publisher: Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation
  • ISSN: 0033-8826
  • Serial URL: http://www.railwayage.com

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Costs; Fuels; Gasoline; Intermodal transportation; Prices; Railroad transportation; Ridership; Transportation policy
• Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Finance; Policy; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01105562
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: UC Berkeley Transportation Library
• Files: BTRIS, TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 31 2008 3:24PM