SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD TO HOLD APRIL 11 PUBLIC HEARING ON RAIL CAPACITY & INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) announced today that the agency will hold an April 11, 2007 public hearing to examine issues related to railroad traffic forecasts and infrastructure requirements.
Specifically, the STB will conduct the public hearing as a forum for interested persons to provide views and information about: rail-freight traffic forecasts; the extent of capacity constraints and the ability of railroads to meet rising demand; the infrastructure investment needed to ensure that the Nation’s freight-rail system continues to operate in an efficient and reliable manner; possible solutions to the challenges presented by growing rail traffic and limited capacity; and the potential role of public-private partnerships and innovative financing tools in meeting these challenges.
In announcing the April 11 hearing, STB Chairman Charles D. Nottingham stated:
“Our Nation’s freight-rail system will be relied upon to handle significant increases in traffic in the years ahead. This hearing should shed light on whether current plans and investments are adequate to meet rail capacity demands, and, if not, what new policies and strategies need to be implemented.”
Interesting but it seems to be the same old complex issues.
I’m no expert, but I do wonder if some of the problems that the Class 1s are experiencing…and will continue to suffer are from the 1970s-80s “downsizing” fever that saw the elimination of duplicate routes and the single-tracking of former double tracked mainlines. Yes, the railroads were trying to cut their maintenance expenses, but now it seems that railroad executives wish they had those assets that were eliminated just a few decades ago. Add to that during the 1990s forecasts of exploding freight traffic from industrial and government officials were even posted in TRAINS magazines and brought up in many a share holder meeting.
We read that safety related technology is a central issue (good!) but what about the progress on rebuilding or expanding the current infrastructure? As stated it is going to be extraordinarily expensive.
I have to wonder if the Class Ones have looked at the restraints put against them by other Class Ones. For example, Norfolk Southern is limited to the amount of traffic they can run over the former Conrail/CSX/CF&E line between Crestline, Ohio, and Fort Wayne, IN. True, there’s few places to meet trains but it isn’t like the CF&E is swamped with traffic, the edict is part of the Conrail Acquisition plan. There are other such plans that, if lifted or loosened, would free up some trackage, enough to make some difference.
I agree with you regarding the CFE line. At some point that line will be much too valuable to handle just a few trains a day. There will be a trade off between CSX, NS, and CFE and NS will be able to run a couple of trains on the line. It will need sidings, no doubt.
I can see something like what happened on teh Meridian Speedway with investment from an outside company. It is a bit complex with CSX owning and leasing to CFE with NS having rights. Further, NS dispatches the line.
Typical Government; oversight of many little things with all the Kings Men trying to put Humpty Dumpty together again. Glad to see our Leaders rolling along with business as usual.
That route used to be a double-main with occasional sidings that was single-tracked by Conrail. There is room for that track to be replaced (ala the B&O a few miles to the north) with slightly less work than a new-alignment. That way the high-speed rail can have their “own line” and DF&E, and NS can still move freight in this corridor just as soon as the figure out what to do West of Gary (Tolliston).