Research Reports
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The purpose of this report is to describe the R-1 database and a series of programs written to manipulate the data files. These programs were used in a recent research project to generate a time-series database of railroad expense, investment, and operating data. The time-series database was used to...
The overall objective was to determine the extent that economies of size and density are available to short line railroads. Size economies are limited for short line railroads. For example, doubling the size of the network (from 56 to 129 miles) decreases costs by only 6.9 percent. The elasticity of...
The objective of this study is to appraise the issues and problems of rail car supply in North Dakota from the shippers' perspectives. The study also attempts to provide recommendations for future research in this area, with special attention given to examining carrier and shipper concerns. However...
The purpose of this report is to document a methodology for light-density cost analysis which is used in Phases I and II of the North Dakota Rail Services Planning (RSP) Study, as well as in line rehabilitation projects. The report describes a set of procedures for calculating Class I carrier line-segment...
The organization structure of railroads in the Upper Great Plains region is rapidly changing. Class I carriers such as the Burlington Northern are selling their branch lines to new rail operators. Line sale, on a significant scale, may affect traditional competitive relationships among railroads and...
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...
The objective of this report is to provide information highlighting the differences between Class I and short line rail labor. Primary data was collected from 48 short line railroads. In addition to various railroad characteristics, information was obtained about employment levels, job classifications...
The line was analyzed using a new short line benefit-cost procedure developed at the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute. The project is actually part of a series of capital projects on the line. The overall benefit-cost ratio for the projects is 14:3. The outlay will be paid back on the basis...
The objective of this study is to estimate the potential efficiencies gains from short line operation of branch lines in North Dakota. Cost and revenue estimates are developed in the study for three potential short line networks on Burlington Northern's system.
The overall purpose of this report is to objectively and quantitatively assess the potential impact that short line operations have upon service levels to grain shippers. Specifically, the first goal is to ascertain whether creating short line railroads has resulted in improvement or decline in the quality...