Featured Centennial Paper - Freight Rail: On Track to the Future

The genesis of the Standing Technical Committee on Freight Rail Transportation dates back at least to the 1970s, when the future of light density railroad branch and secondary lines concerned many state and local governments. The Committee is concerned with the spectrum of strategic, operational, technical and planning issues related to rail freight transportation. The committee's areas of emphasis include: capacity, demand for freight services, including intermodal traffic; the economic viability of railroads and related topics; integrating rail freight transport into federal, state and local transportation planning processes; public and private investment strategies including public/private partnerships; assessing regulatory issues and impacts; identifying areas of needed technical research; and promoting implementation of new rail technology. To learn the whole story, check out the committee's Centennial Paper.

As part of TRB's Centennial Celebration, the Technical Activities Council invited all standing committees to submit a Centennial Paper. The Centennial Papers showcase TRB’s standing committees’ past accomplishments and contributions to transportation, demonstrate the committee’s current relevancy and activities, and consider the committee’s role in meeting future challenges and opportunities.

Read this and other committee's Centennial Papers available on TRB's Centennial Website.