TRAINS ARE COMING BACK THIS WAY!

Lavelle, Marianne, (2005) Railroad Revival, U.S.NEWS & WORLD REPORT, 3/25, EES.

The trains are on their way back to making money and being in demand. That does not mean that passenger trains are doing well. It is the transport end of things. It's the trains that carry products and may be heard whistling in the night.

The major transfer is trucks, but they can't keep drivers and the interstates are getting clogged. Further, gasoline prices are up so the trains are now competitive again. They cost less and generate less pollution.

However, some rural lines are losing out to the big cities where the market price is right for trains to carry more profitable products. Trains have also become a monopoly of sorts with most of the ownership belong to BNSF of Fort Worth and the Union Pacific.

Some big customers include all the name brands and United Parcel Post. For some it is easier to pack a truck run it to the train. At that time, the truck is driven on the train to the desired location and the truck takes the goods right to the exact where house. There goods are distributed to stores or factories.

Train mythology has been dying, but it is now coming back. Rail stations are revitalized and the whole theme of going somewhere for some reason is back.