The potential for improving rail international intermodal services in Texas and the southwest region of the United States.

755017172PDFTech ReportSWUTC/11/473700-00076-1DTRS99-G-0006Intermodal servicesContainerizationFreight serviceRailroadsUnited StatesSouthwest Region University Transportation Center (U.S.)Harrison, RobertBlaze, JamesUniversity of Texas at Austin. Center for Transportation ResearchNTL-FREIGHT-IntermodalismNTL-FREIGHT-Freight Planning and PolicyNTL-PLANNING AND POLICY-Freight Planning and PolicyNTL-RAIL TRANSPORTATION-Rail Planning and PolicyUS Transportation CollectionThe report covers a period of great significance for railroading in the U.S as it contains a number of milestones nowshaping the future performance of the industry. The specific subject is improving intermodal service so that it cansupport state and regional highway planning, now facing severe financial cut-backs as revenue sources become fullycommitted to bond servicing, user taxes, loose purchasing power and fuel consumption begins to fall. Intermodaltraffic grew strongly in the period 1995 \ue2\u20ac\u201c 2007 and UP and BNSF trans-continental routes were improved largely onthe back of intermodal demand. Alliances with larger trucking companies strengthened and transportation officialsbegan to ask whether rail could take some of the predicted freight off key highway corridors. This report addresseselements of this question, more especially as it relates to intermodal traffic in Texas and the Southwest. The reportcomprises the following sections. Chapter 2 considers the changes in rail freight since the Staggers Act, Chapter 3evaluates Class 1 intermodal service, and Chapter 4 identifies the major trade corridors serving Texas and theSouthern region of the U.S. Chapter 5 describes rail bottlenecks on the state rail system that might impact futureintermodal growth, and Chapter 6 concludes by examining the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to railintermodal service in Texas and the Southern region over the next decade