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The rail lines are there, regardless of what they're used for. Whatever structural problems exist in this domain aren't addressed by building more more freight
by robonerd 5y ago
The rail lines are there, regardless of what they're used for. Whatever structural problems exist in this domain aren't addressed by building more more freight rail.
- bobthepanda 5y agothat kind of depends on your definition of "problem." One thing that is potentially a problem is that freight rail has been so optimized and cost cut to the bare bones that the network is now extremely brittle. This tends to impact passenger rail more than freight rail (passenger rail is legally supposed to have priority, but in practice this has never been enforced and the freight carriers usually just make passenger rail take the hit instead of freight), but this is a problem in major hubs like Chicago. And I bring up coal and oil, to say that if major changes were to happen in those markets and they dried up, the American freight rail network is not set up to easily pivot to things like fast freight that might take its place, and then we would have a freight rail network that is great for addressing a nonexistent market. Fast freight needs generally straighter, faster lines than what exists today.
- LargoLasskhyfv 5y agoWell, if that coal & oil thing dwindles down, there is a new demand known. WATER!