The Freight Railroad Renaissance

This article describes the current state of freight railroading in the United States and explains why railroads are ready for a re-emergence as a strategic part of America's transportation network. The author notes that as rail freight service became more reliable, the volume of freight transferred from highway trucks and containers back to freight railroads increased dramatically, based on cooperative agreements between trucking companies and railroads. The article reviews the general size of the North American freight railroad network; the role of the Association of American Railroads (AAR); current reports calling for improvements in railroad safety, productivity, and service reliability; and the use of computerized control systems, including wheel-impact load detectors, truck-performance detectors, hot-bearing detectors, digital train-inspection devices, digital track-inspection devices, laser-acoustic rail-flaw inspection, positive train-control systems, real-time onboard train-performance simulators, and electronically controlled pneumatic braking systems. The author concludes that railroads today offer the safest, most energy-efficient mode of handling long-haul freight, and operations will only improve in the future as a digital infrastructure is installed and implemented.