Subdude Posted September 6, 2004 Share Posted September 6, 2004 Tracking A TrendCrisis on our freight rail linesHouston can't wait: Gridlock must be resolved nowBy COUNCIL MEMBER SHELLEY SEKULA-GIBBSCopyright 2004 Houston ChronicleGRIDLOCK isn't limited to roadways anymore. Our nation's railways are experiencing similar congestion as well. Increased demand, too many rail cars and insufficient manpower are creating gridlock on our nation's freight rail system. Currently, the demand for freight transportation is rising faster than the national gross product, and that trend will continue for many years to come. The ability of rail to move goods efficiently, timely and affordably is a main driver of our local and national economies. Indeed, our economic recovery dependson it.Recent events suggest that our freight rail system is heading toward a crisis that can dampen our economic recovery and create gridlock on both our rail systems and highways, leaving its customers and the goods that they move paralyzed.Consider this: According to the Association of American Railroads, rail-cargo shipments rose 6 percent in the first half of 2004, and the year-end total is expected to exceed last year's record. Rail-cargo shipments, a rail-truck combination, rose by 9.6 percent while our economy grew at 4.4 percent. At the same time, average train speeds fell 6.7 percent in the first half of this year. Union Pacific has suffered the most Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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