American Farms are in Jeopardy—Because of Inefficient Rail Service

[thelakelander]

Some farmers are facing a crisis this harvest season because trains aren't keeping up with transport demand.


Covered hopper cars on a Florida Midland Railroad spur near W.G. Roe & Sons citrus juice processing plant in Winter Haven, FL.

FARGO, N.D.—Deregulation has been a popular theme in U.S. politics for decades, but a Surface Transportation Board hearing here last week on railcar shortages and service delays provided an example of how dependent rural America still is on a federal regulatory agency to push the railroads to provide vital services.

The BNSF Railway Company and the Canadian Pacific Railway Company move commodities from the northern tier of states stretching from Minnesota through the Dakotas and Montana to the ports in Washington state and to processing facilities elsewhere. But if the carriers do not provide cars to ship wheat, corn, soybeans, and other commodities this fall, farmers and agribusiness risk losing billions of dollars and the U.S. reputation as a reliable supplier of agricultural products will be tarnished, a wide range of witnesses testified at Thursday's hearing.

If rail carriers don't provide cars to ship wheat, corn, soybeans, and other crops this fall, farmers risk losing billions of dollars.

Full article: http://www.citylab.com/work/2014/09/american-farms-are-in-jeopardybecause-of-inefficient-rail-service/379785/

[mtraininjax]

supply and demand. Wheat and Corn harvests are going to be huge this year without major drought or other conditions, so rail sees no real demand or rise in fare to warrant carrying it. Plus very few big railroads use their own cars for this, most cars these days are leased cars, and they just haul them.

[Dog Walker]

We were planning a trip on the Amtrack Empire Builder from Chicago to Portland this fall, but discovered that it was running 12-17 hours late due to the large number of oil and coal trains that were taking precedence on the tracks.  Had to change plans.

The oil and coal trains are also what is making the grain trains hard to run and too few.

Ock could probably tell us how many trains of 100+ cars can be run over a single track in a day and still be safe.