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Abstract
Railroad and grain elevator rationalization have changed farm-to-market transportation in the western United States. Railroad route miles have declined from approximately 230,00 in 1929 to 171,000 today. Over the same period, average railroad traffic density (as measured in revenue ton-miles per mile of road) has increased from 1.95 million to 14.42 million. The concentration of railroad traffic on mainline routes has resulted in significant economies of scale or utilization and lower real freight rates. However, fewer elevators exist today. As a result, farmers are facing longer delivery trips than ever before.
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