It's Time To Reinvent America's Railroads
Raymond
By William C. Vantuono, Editor
It may still be asked whether this perfected transportation tool will
have a role to play in future economic development," said Louis Armand
of the railway industry in 1964. "There still persist people who
believe that the economy of modern nations can get along without
railways and that, as a consequence, railways ought to consider that
their job is to shrink, with the goal of disappearing entirely one of
these days."
Armand himself was not among the doubters. A wartime resistance hero
who went on to become director general of the French National
Railways, secretary general of the International Union of Railways
(UIC), and a member of the French Academy, Armand wrote 37 years ago
of the "railway use of cybernetics" (today, computerization) and the
role other modern technology would have to play in "plunging the
industry ahead toward audacious accomplishments."
But some of the basic questions posed by the world’s best-known
railroader nearly half a century ago are still being asked in the
United States today: Where does the railway industry fit in,
economically, socially, politically? What does it need to do to
compete effectively as a transportation provider with those modes,
primarily highway and air, that garner the lion’s share of public and
legislative attention?
Economically, times right now are tough. Business is down in just
about every sector. Growth capital is short or non-existent. But
despite all this, the industry is beginning to position itself to
claim a much larger share of the transportation marketplace than it
has had in many years. Gradually coming into focus is a fundamental
shift in public policy and perception toward rail transportation that
could pump billions of public dollars into the system. Equally as
important as new capital is a rethinking of business practices, a
reconsideration
Cont'd
SEE
http://www.railwayage.com/nov01/reinvent.html
Day Brown
railroads, but the right of way, as we have the high ways, waterways,
and airports. Let entrepreneurial investors come up with newer faster
models and more efficient schedules.
In addition, use the right of way to build an elevated high speed wide
track rail system- that has no grade crossings risking accidents or
interference in schedules.
Of course, this is a massive construction project, but we have plenty of
unemployed men to do it, and it would so lower the costs of
transportation that global investors would lend us the money.
If flat cars are made wide enuf, you could drive on from one side, park
and ride in a passenger lounge, at say 200 mph, and then drive off the
other side on arrival. Keeping the convenience of personal transport at
each end, but by passing the danger, hassle, and expense of freeways.
Containers would also ride, dramatically lowering truck traffic on the
interstates which would lower the cost of potholes.