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TRANSPORTATION - BTS - Bureau of Transportation Statistics

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Figure 2-45Railroad Network Showing Volume <strong>of</strong> Freight: 1998Railroad Freight Density(million gross tons = mgt)Under 9.9 mgt10 to 19.9 mgt20 to 39.9 mgt40 to 59.9 mgt60 to 99.9 mgtOver 100 mgtNote: Data for Hawaii are not shown here as they have no freight railroads; data were not available for Alaska.Source: U.S. Department <strong>of</strong> <strong>Transportation</strong>, <strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Transportation</strong> <strong>Statistics</strong>, National <strong>Transportation</strong> Atlas Database 2000(Washington, DC: 2000).2. Ninety-one thousand miles <strong>of</strong> rail line were abandoned or sold by major railroads. Many<strong>of</strong> the lines were sold to new, aggressive regional and short-line railroads. Regional andshort-line railroads operated 50,000 miles <strong>of</strong> road in 1998 [AAR 2000a].3. The railroads have undergone productivity growth that far outpaces the Americaneconomy as a whole [AAR 2000b].4. Railroads established connections with trucking and ocean-shipping companies so thattoday, intermodal traffic has grown from 3.1 million trailers and containers in 1980 to 8.8million in 1998 [AAR 2000b].Between 1981 and 1995, the federal government increased funding to the states for rail freightplanning and acquisition, rail facility construction, and rehabilitation. The RailroadRehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) Program an innovative program <strong>of</strong> TEA-21,provides loans and loan guarantees for railroad capital improvements to state and localgovernments, corporations, railroads, and joint ventures that include at least one railroad forthe first time ever in the rail industry.The resurgence <strong>of</strong> the freight railroads proved so successful that Conrail was privatized in1987. At that time, this was the largest initial public <strong>of</strong>fering ever made in the nation’s history.In 1999, Conrail was absorbed by CSX and Norfolk Southern in a historic consolidation tyingEast Coast and Midwest freight traffic to the South through two different systems.Today, the overall challenges facing the railroad industry is to address issues <strong>of</strong> safety,congestion, productivity, and cost in an environment <strong>of</strong> ongoing mergers and consolidation.As the industry moves increasingly to consolidation, it is critical to maintain thecompetitiveness <strong>of</strong> the rail industry.Keys to the FutureThe Federal Railroad Administration expects rail ton-miles to increase from an estimated 1.46trillion in 2000 to 2.40 trillion in 2025 and the rail freight industry to grow an average <strong>of</strong> 2percent per year between now and 2025. This growth reflects the adoption <strong>of</strong> technologicaladvances in communications, command, and control; more fuel-efficient locomotives;high-capacity, lightweight freight cars; and moderate traffic growth, led by intermodal traffic.2-44

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