Title: Rural Freight Rail and Multimodal Transportation Improvements – the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Abstract: Affordable freight transportation is a requirement for survival for rural industries, and in many cases requires the presence of freight rail systems. This study investigated the transportation system in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (U.P.). The main outcomes of the study included development of interactive map of the U.P. rail system and facilities, analysis of truck and freight rail commodity flows, shipper and railroad input collected via shipper survey and interviews, and investigations on potential transload facility development. Some of the main findings and conclusions included: 1) there is a lack of accurate data on U.P. businesses and commodity flows; 2) while the overall rail system outlook is positive, some light density spur lines may be in jeopardy; 3) shippers and railroads share similar concerns, offering common ground for potentially low-cost improvements, if a collaborative environment can be established; and 4) there is great interest for a local intermodal/transload facility, but low individual shipper volumes suggest collaborative approach for facility development.
Publication Year: 2014
Publication Date: 2014-07-18
Language: en
Type: article
Access and Citation
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot