Small Roads and Passenger Trains: A Natural Fit?

This article uses the examples of the Arkansas & Missouri short line to explore how short lines and regional railroads have opportunities to partner with local communities to balance passenger rail needs with freight business. The author notes that as more cities discover the virtues of passenger rail, they often find area short lines are the cheapest, best, and quickest route. With more investment comes more passenger trains and less capacity to run freight trains, which can lead to higher variable costs for the freight operation. The article also mentions four freight railroads that share track with passenger trains: Amtrak on the New England Central, VIA on the Goderich-Exeter in Ontario, light rail on the San Diego & Imperial Valley, and Dallas’ DART, TRE and DCTA on the Dallas, Garland & Northeastern. The author concludes with a brief discussion of some of the challenges that must be met in order for freight and passenger rail services to successfully share tracks.