The Oil Drum

The goal is to make express rail time and reliability competitive with trucks for those shippers that require that. Canadian National type operations are assumed (scheduled trains several times/day).

An 8,000 mile network (mainly Texas, Kansas City, Minneapolis and to the East plus San Francisco to Tuscon) of 100 to 110 mph express freight trains will add speed and reliability. Even if only a portion of s trip can be scheduled on a semi-High Speed rail line, delivery times improve considerably. 60 to 79 mph service could become "normal" on regular mainlines.

Highway congestion in major cities and 62 mph governors lowers the bar a tad in competing with trucks on speed and reliability.

Until (and it will happen !) customers relocate to a rail spur (or build new ones), intermodal will be required. The number of intermodal locations will increase, and many will be quite small operations. (Does Tuscaloosa Alabama get it's own, or does it uses the intermodal center in Birmingham ?).

In the first years, with diesel only $9/gallon, it will be Birmingham. Later, having it's own intermodal center will make sense.

Ed is working on a model for EMUs# carrying passengers and less than truckload freight (like old days of Railroad Express). Charge sky high freight rates (in comparison to unit cars of coal), but "affordable" to get appliances, small packages, fruit, etc. delivered at the railroad depot of smaller town. Say $21 to deliver refrigerator from big city 200 miles away to RR depot. Merchant or individual takes it from there.

Combine one or two EMUs with less than truckload freight with basic passenger service (decent seats & bathroom, but no dining car, sleepers or lounge) in one or two EMUs and one can make money today in his opinion, if done right. Service 2 to 6 times/day "depending on demand".

# EMU = Electric Multiple Units, self propelled electric rail cars that can operate singly or in trains of any length. Passenger seating could be 66 to 88/EMU.

Basic passenger service, several times a day, going to "big cities" on either end (including airports) as well as small twons along the way could be quite attractive for trips of 80 to 300 miles for a good % of the population (perhaps not a majority).

Best Hopes for Non-Oil Transportation,

Alan