THE FUTURE OF RAILROADS

For more than a century the railroad was the dominant form of land transportation in much of the world. It was and remains the one land carrier that can carry almost anything anywhere, and do it at a cost lower than other types of land or air traffic.

Today, however, other modes of transport have been developed to the point at which they can do certain transportation jobs more effectively than the railroads. Pipelines can carry liquids and some solids over long distances economically. Airplanes, with their great speed, can carry some types of light, valuable freight at a saving. Trucks offer speed and flexibility, especially for short and medium hauls. Private automobiles, running over modern highways, and the airplanes have taken over much passenger traffic formerly handled by rails. Modern barges, operating on improved inland waterways, can move a lot of commodities over specific routes at very low costs.

Undeniably, these competitors of the railroad can do a better job on some types of transportation tasks. The development of these newer modes has changed the role of the railroad from that of the general-purpose carrier to that of a more specialized carrier.

The future role of railroads will vary in different countries. In general, however, the railroad is particularly strong in the following areas.

1. It is especially effective in moving large volumes of bulk commodities, such as coal, ores, chemicals and grain. When there are facilities for rapid train loading and unloading, the railroad can be competitive over short distances. In Britain, one such coal – mine – to – electricity – generating – station operation involves a distance of only 30 miles. Railroads can also move large volumes of finished goods economically at relatively high speeds over medium to long distances.

2. The railroad can efficiently handle containers of large volumes between major centers in some countries. For this purpose, special trans-shipment terminals equipped for easy and rapid transfer from railcar to truck have been created. Commodities to be transferred include steel, forestry, paper products and new automobiles.

3. Railroads in the industrialized world have learned that to compete with trucks for high-value freight, such as components for automobile industry or food for retail markets, they must not only promise fast transit times but also keep to schedule with the same precision as passenger trains.

4. The railroad is the best mode of transport for moving commuter passengers between big metropolitan centers and the outlying suburban areas.

5. Very-high-speed intercity passenger services can be successful with modern equipment at medium to long distances. In Western Europe, Japan and the New York City – Washington, D.C., corridor of the USA, railroad intercity passenger business has been successfully increased due to a combination of high speed, more comfortable and smoother-riding cars and greater frequency of service. With its TGV operation, the French National Railways have proved that trains can regain considerable traffic from airlines over intercity distances of up to 400 miles. There are plans to raise the distance at which air travel is powerfully challenged to 650 miles.

In short, the railroad under modern conditions is at its best as a high-volume high-speed carrier of both passengers and freight.

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 1253