Rail/Road Math

Click title for story link. Same song and dance, different company. October 20, 2008 Rail/Road Math Jim Young, chair of Union Pacific, was interviewed in a "Q&A" in Sunday's Oregonian (if it's online, I haven't found it). Here's an interesting exchange on Commuter Rail: Q: Do you see Union Pacific getting into the business of passenger rail with the new emphasis on mass transit? A: There's an infrastructure challenge on the highways. We are approached by city leaders who want to put commuter rail on the freight rail. That's a complete mistake. The last thing we want to do is take freight off to make room for commuters. That freight just ends up on the highway. For example, a load of lumber moving out of the Pacific Northwest displaces two to three trucks. Capacity is so tight, it wouldn't be a good thing for the environment or the country. I can understand the community's perspective. But what I have to protect is the freight business.