What was once thought of as a dying horse is now running full steam ahead.
Railroads are back in what looks like a promising future for short line railways.
According to Michael Babcock, professor of economics at Kansas State University, the railroad industry is evolving. An expert on transportation economics, he recently researched the profitability of short line railroads. So part of their cost reduction strategy was to dispose of branch lines in rural areas that they thought generated more in cost than in revenue. Over a third of the miles in Kansas are operated by short lines. Whether or not rural areas have competitive railroad transportation depends on whether short lines are going to be profitable over a long period of time, Babcock said.