This is an example where the line was removed to save maintenance on a line which had lost its original purpose (lumber east). Today, ironically, having some of these secondary mains might have been able to do a lot in handling loose car, bulk, oil, and other slow motion commodity streams. Tennessee Pass, Raton, and a few other examples are still in place that could be used as secondary capacity for these commodities. The Midwestern rebuilds and upgrades are also examples of this need being met.

As was noted, in the earlier thread on "Common Carrier" issues, RR's were allowed too many mergers, creating significant "captive" markets, or "duopolies:. In this "semi" (but largely)unregulated environment, RR's can, and do, openly "discriminate" in service and rate making, partially because there is no real rail competition between many markets, except in some parts of mid America. For about 80% of US rail market pairs, RR competition is really only a "duopoly", at best. In a "duopoly", you don't have to "compete" for customers, but rather you can divide market share based on "game theory" pricing. This leaves small shippers, smaller US ports, farmers, and many other commodities that have been and could be shipped by rail, basically screwed (except in very-very-very hard times-2008).

We need to promote policies that encourage rather than discourage long term investment in track and equipment, that encourages rail banking and maintenance of secondary routes. This also applies to mainline capacity investment, and long term car and locomotive capacity. This will improve overall productivity and reduce the "boom-bust" cycle of investment and unreliable service. But, more competition wouldn't hurt.

In many part of the country, opening closed "duopoly" markets to additional carriers, through operating and trackage rights access, probably would help in eliminating some of the inherent power to manipulate (gouge?) price and service to customers, in such an unpredictable, arbitrary, and blatantly monopolistic or oligopolistic a manner.