Research Reports
Report Details

Abstract

The purpose of this report is not to analyze the laws and regulations that govern railway labor, or which affect ICC exemption procedures. These are quasi-legal issues which will be settled in the courts, or remanded to the ICC for clarification. The goal of this study is more fundamental in nature: to evaluate the effects of line sales on rail labor in North Dakota. Until the nature and extent of these impacts are known, it is difficult for state and local governments to formulate policy in this area. The primary research objectives are: 1) to formulate an approach for estimating the net long-run effects of line sales; 2) to project changes in rail jobs and workers' income streams in North Dakota, over time; and 3) to interpret the findings in light of the overall benefits and costs of short line railroads.