Economic Impacts of Railroad Abandonment on Rural Kansas Communities
Economic Impacts of Railroad Abandonment on Rural Kansas Communities

Author: Michael W. Babcock

Publisher:

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 178

ISBN-13:

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The research measured quantifiable impacts of shortline railroad abandonment in Kansas through the following four research tasks. First, an assessment of Kansas county road conditions and financing was conducted to determine the ability of counties to absorb the resulting incremental heavy truck traffic. Second, the changes in wheat handling and transportation costs were computed. Third, the increase in truck-attributable road damage costs to Kansas county and state roads was computed. Fourth, the additional highway accident benefits and costs attributable to the resulting incremental truck traffic were calculated. The western two-thirds of Kansas was selected as the study area. County road officials were interviewed and surveyed to assess county road conditions and finances. Geographic information system (GIS) routing software was used to model the wheat handling and transportation costs with and without shortline railroads. Using the results of the GIS transportation model and an existing pavement damage model, the additional damage costs to county and state roads were calculated. Finally, the safety cost was calculated using the estimated increased truck miles driven, accidents per mile traveled data and costs per accident.

Railroad Economics
Railroad Economics

Author: Scott Dennis

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2007-07-09

Total Pages: 291

ISBN-13: 0080548938

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Research in Transportation Economics is now available online at ScienceDirect — full-text online of volumes 6 onwards. Elsevier book series on ScienceDirect gives multiple users throughout an institution simultaneous online access to an important compliment to primary research. Digital delivery ensures users reliable, 24-hour access to the latest peer-reviewed content. The Elsevier book series are compiled and written by the most highly regarded authors in their fields and are selected from across the globe using Elsevier's extensive researcher network. For more information about the Elsevier Book Series on ScienceDirect Program, please visit:http://www.info.sciencedirect.com/bookseries/

The Impact of U.S. Railroad Abandonment on Domestic Mineral Industries
The Impact of U.S. Railroad Abandonment on Domestic Mineral Industries

Author: Ronald F. Balazik

Publisher:

Published: 1980

Total Pages: 28

ISBN-13:

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This Bureau of Mines study is intended to identify and evaluate potential effects of impending large-scale U.S. rail line closings (abandonment) on domestic nonfuel mineral industries. This is the first nationwide study of rail abandonment impacts focused on non-fuel minerals. The analysis presented is based principally on a survey of 200 rail freight records and on statistical tests that correlated 2,000 points in the Bureau's Mineral Industry Location System (MILS) with 700 prospective abandonments throughout the United States. The conclusions derived from the analysis can be useful in evaluating proposed national rail abandonment policy and legislation regarding non fuel mineral shipping. Among these conclusions are the following: (1) Certain mineral materials (especially fertilizers) are likely to account for a large percentage of the rail traffic affected by abandonment in the next few years, but the total tonnage involved will be small; (2) abandonment will adversely affect some mineral shippers, particularly local short haulers; and (3) abandonment could significantly reduce the opportunity to develop new resources or reopen defunct mining facilities. Despite these problems, however, the data examined in this study do not indicate that current abandonment trends will cause widespread disruption of domestic non fuel mineral shipping. (Out of print.).

Rural Transportation
Rural Transportation

Author: United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Publisher:

Published: 1977

Total Pages: 188

ISBN-13:

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Hearings held in Wichita, Kansas on rural passenger and freight services, agricultural shipping requirements and carriers capacity.

The Impact of Jumbo Covered Hopper Cars on Kansas Shortline Railroads
The Impact of Jumbo Covered Hopper Cars on Kansas Shortline Railroads

Author: Michael W. Babcock

Publisher:

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 108

ISBN-13:

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Class I railroads have been replacing 263,000-pound (loaded weight) covered hopper cars capable of handling 100 tons of grain with 286,000-pound covered hopper cars that can handle 111 tons. While these heavier cars provide a decrease in railroad cost per ton-mile for the Class I (Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe) Railroads; they will cause a significant increase in operating and maintenance costs for the shortline railroads in the state of Kansas. Currently the shortline railroads make up 44% of the Kansas rail system. Five of the major shortline railroads that were consulted in this study found that at least 70% of their mainline tracks would need to be upgraded in order to efficiently and safely handle the 286,000 pound cars. Eight-six percent of their bridges would also need to be upgraded. The total cost to upgrade the tracks and bridges is estimated at