Rail Transport

John C. Spychalski

The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 1997, vol. 553, issue 1, 42-54

Abstract: Between 1960 and the mid-1970s, rail transport labored under siege and retreated on virtually all major fronts. Attacks and conquests by road, air, water, and pipeline transport were relentless and significant. After 1970, intercity rail passenger service was snatched from the brink of extinction and rehabilitated with government assistance. However, full realization of its latent potential for meeting travel demands and providing broader public benefits has been hampered by weak and inconsistent political will. Intra-urban rail passenger movement has grown at both ends of its technological spectrum: commuter rail, and street railway in the form of light rail. Intercity rail freight service has survived inadequate profitability and major bankruptcies. Aided by changes in regulation, it has proven capable of meeting the tests of the private marketplace. The emerging megamergers of the 1990s pose challenges for customer service and the future course of regulatory policy.

Date: 1997
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:anname:v:553:y:1997:i:1:p:42-54

DOI: 10.1177/0002716297553001004

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