Riding the rails

摘要

To handle this increased usage, railroads are not planning to spend much more, if at all, to improve their systems. Parsimony on the part of the railroads may be good for shareholders, but it could make longer hauls for coal shippers more difficult and prevent the greater flexibility that has been sought by shippers. Two of the major carriers, Union Pacific and CSX, have been harshly criticized for their performance in 2004, when they both failed to keep up with their customers' rising needs. Labor and other resources were partly to blame for the delays and congestion, but many of the problems stem from a lack of investment in prior years?