Disruptions in the traditional grain marketing system owing to the changing transportation situation have implications for Nebraska grain shippers who rely primarily on rail service to move grain to terminal markets. Potential rail line abandonments are a source of uncertainty for grain producers, elevator owners and operators, and other residents of rural communities. Innovations in railroad rate structures, particularly reduced rates for multiple-car grain shipments, affect the competitive position of smaller producers and shippers. These changes have been accompanied by increased demands on the transportation system because of increasing grain production in the state. The results of a recent University of Nebraska study (1) emphasized the interdependence of elements in the efficient flow of grain from producers through marketing channels to ultimate markets. The research procedures em ployed in this study constituted a 'system' approach to the problem of branch-line rail abandonment. The computer model was specifically designed to simulate and evaluate alternative grain marketing systems. Joint determination of the location of enlarged elevator facilities and the most efficient rail network was accomplished by use of a multi-period, two-stage transshipment, plant location model.
Economic Impact of Rail Branch-Line Abandonment: Research Procedures Employed in a South-Central Nebraska Case Study
1976
48 pages
Report
No indication
English
Additional Retrospective Rail Line Abandonment Studies
NTIS | 1975
|IuD Bahn | 1994
|Rail abandonment set new record
Engineering Index Backfile | 1943
|British Library Conference Proceedings | 1995
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