I see we're getting more mousy solutions for every problem, are we back to spamming and bashing the NWP at every sign of progress?. They have at least three customers on day one, from what I've been told. And, as reliable service is instituted and the economy recovers, maybe a couple of more can be brought back to rail. The trash and rock hauling opportunities on the NWP are potentially game changers on a pretty nice scale for long run sustainable rail operations.

In the long run the maintenance and restoration of our rail network is critical. I didn't agree with the other thread that argues that somehow, single handedly, John Kneeling killed the loose car business. Taxpayer subsidized interstates and oversize 53' kingpin trailers tearing up our roads, and poor long term investment tax policies on railroads, did that. Mr. Kneeling simply identified a strategy for coping with that. But, in addition to bad public policy and real changes in the marketplace, bad service and a bad marketing strategy by the major carriers certainly contributed and continue to contribute to the problem of loss of potentially viable loose carload business.

I am involved in a study right now on some opportunities to restore carload services and maintain some industrial traffic in a very depressed business area. The agency wants to encourage retention of a light industrial and strong distribution base using rail, in a switching district formerly economically vibrant and well served by competitive carriers. These two carriers merged and no longer offered competition for the small carload customers, or even some larger ones. This, in turn, made the area less competitive from a business location standpoint and the area began to slide.

My first recommendation was for the agency involved to buy/acquire the remaining viable local trackage, and hire an independent operator to operate it, so the customers would actually have responsive service. This would allow that independent to also haul directly to the other remaining competitive carrier in this market, which is more receptive of shortline loose car business, if it doesn't have to do the switching.

I'm glad to hear the progress being made daily on the NWP. It offers us a glimpse into what we need to be doing with Siskiyou and the other Oregon lines, and many of our midwestern lines. A national policy that encourages rail infrastructure preservation, maintenance, and restoration is beginning to take shape. An STB more interested in fostering competition would go a long way to maintaining the viability of our second and third tier rail network.