Freight volume on America’s railroads has stayed stubbornly low - a reality that’s begun to shake the industry’s long-term outlook. On this episode of The Intermodal Logistics Podcast, Trains.com writer Bill Stephens discusses this and other findings of a TD Cowen report on volume (and suggested solutions) he wrote about in a recent article.
Bill walks through the reasons behind the late 2000s volume dip and why a rebound has proven elusive - plus, why it’s finally getting investors’ attention after other factors kept concerns at bay. He tells us how the report spotlights volume recovery as mission-critical for the future of rail, with fresh emphasis on service improvements for freight shipped solely by railcar (an area where intermodal has been doing better).
All this discussion about long-term viability leads into another potential discussion point: if progress continues to stall, are mergers a realistic option? Bill explains why policy hurdles make that prospect a bumpy ride even for leaders open to the idea. Shifting gears, we take a look at an avenue for potential growth that's still in the process of being tapped, cross-border between the U.S. and Mexico. Bill tells us about some of rail's big initiatives in that space and why unlocking that value and gaining market share is proving tricky.
Find more from Bill at Trains.com and by subscribing to the magazine. You can also follow him on LinkedIn.
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