pstas April 8th, 2012 at 9:59 am Could the increased rails be due to freight moving off the roads due to high diesel, or is that a stretch?
Not at all. Intermodal is less costly for mid to long range shipping but can be limited by the need for large terminal facilities to effect the efficiencies. Short haul trucking is , generally, more flexible. There are also tradeoffs regarding value of the cargo, volumes, etc. Very complex business.
April 8th, 2012 at 9:59 am
Could the increased rails be due to freight moving off the roads due to high diesel, or is that a stretch?
Not at all. Intermodal is less costly for mid to long range shipping but can be limited by the need for large terminal facilities to effect the efficiencies. Short haul trucking is , generally, more flexible. There are also tradeoffs regarding value of the cargo, volumes, etc. Very complex business.