RailForum.com
TrainWeb.com

RAILforum Post New Topic  Post A Reply
my profile | directory login | register | search | faq | forum home

  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» RAILforum » Passenger Trains » Amtrak » Something Else to Worry About

   
Author Topic: Something Else to Worry About
Jerome Nicholson
Full Member
Member # 3116

Member Rated:
4
Icon 1 posted      Profile for Jerome Nicholson     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote 
Fred Frailey, in his byline on the "Trains" Magazine website, has said that the decline of coal will adversely affect some of Amtrak's routes:
http://cs.trains.com/trn/b/fred-frailey/archive/2016/02/02/3-amtrak-trains-in-jeopardy.aspx#comments
Talk about unintended consequences!

Posts: 510 | From: Richmond VA USA | Registered: Mar 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Vincent206
Full Member
Member # 15447

Member Rated:
5
Icon 1 posted      Profile for Vincent206     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote 
Or, Amtrak might actually benefit from less slow moving coal trains on the rail network. Frailey seems to dismiss the possibility of intermodal traffic picking up at east coast ports served by CSX/NS and PANAMAX ships. I would think that CSX and NS would gladly trade an equal volume of intermodal revenue for coal revenue. The high US dollar should increase imports and create more traffic between the east coast ports and inland distribution points. As coal declines CSX and NS can concentrate on moving intermodal from the ports and spend less money on maintaining those coal routes. I'm not pessimistic about the decline of coal.
Posts: 831 | From: Seattle | Registered: Jan 2011  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
PullmanCo
Full Member
Member # 1138

Icon 1 posted      Profile for PullmanCo     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote 
Coal, transformed into coke, is a requirement for high quality carbon steel. In addition, our chemists will find ways to usefully extract the carbon from coal so it can be used for all the other materials we make from hydrocarbons.

Just because we don't need coal as the producer of heat for the energy cycle doesn't mean its day is over.

Posts: 1404 | Registered: Oct 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Gilbert B Norman
Full Member
Member # 1541

Member Rated:
4
Icon 1 posted      Profile for Gilbert B Norman     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post   Reply With Quote 
I suppose somewhere there is a more "hard core" Amtrak discussion site that is saying "Yeah, get rid of that coal so we can have more trains".
Posts: 9979 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
   

Quick Reply
Message:

HTML is not enabled.
UBB Code™ is enabled.

Instant Graemlins
   


Post New Topic  Post A Reply Close Topic   Feature Topic   Move Topic   Delete Topic next oldest topic   next newest topic
 - Printer-friendly view of this topic
Hop To:


Contact Us | Home Page

Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classic™ 6.7.2




Copyright © 2007-2016 TrainWeb, Inc. Top of Page|TrainWeb|About Us|Advertise With Us|Contact Us