Bidding adieu to 2006

Railway Track and Structures, Dec, 2006 by George S. Sokulski

As we play out the last string of days in 2006, it's a good time to reflect on the year that's about to fade into history. Like most years, it brought the railroad industry the usual share of ups and downs. It left the industry riding high, but that situation always leaves lots of room to fall.

So bear with me while I muse about the past 12 months and check out what my crystal ball says is in store for us in the months to come.

I don't know about you, but I was delighted when 2005 finally slid into history. Seems to me that the year was loaded down with disasters from tsunamis in Asia to hurricanes closer to home in Florida and the Gulf Coast.

As a railroader, I'm amazed at how quickly our industry got itself back into business after Hurricane Katrina devastated a great swath of the Gulf Coast. NS literally picked its infrastructure up off the floor of Lake Pontchartrain, put it back on the bridge and started running trains less than three weeks after Katrina blew through. That's amazing.

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Even more amazing was CSXT replacing bridges big and small, rebuilding track from scratch, and getting back into operation early this year while other transportation modes were still deciding what to do.

I don't want to slight the other roads big and small that serve the hurricane-ravaged territory. They all got back in service in an amazingly short time despite the wreckage caused by wind and water. And they did it essentially on their own--no food service or grocery stores, no electricity, no gasoline, minimal communications and on and on.

AREMA honored CSXT and NS for their work following Katrina with the W. W. Hay Award for Excellence at its annual conference in Louisville, Ken., in September.

This past year saw record traffic, with inter-modal and coal leading the way. Yes, there were glitches and complaints, but, overall, the entire industry can take pride in how well it handled the load in 2006.

One reason things moved as well as they did is the $8.3 billion railroads spent on the infrastructure in 2006, another record. And the supply side really had to hustle to supply the railroads' demands for ties, rail and so on. Working together, the suppliers and railroads did very well, getting the material where it was needed when it was needed. Again, there were glitches and hitches, but railroads are giving good marks to the supply community for its performance in recent months.

We saw Amtrak go through its usual battle for its very existence as the current administration tried to zero out its budget. But rail passenger supporters fought back at the Congressional level and Amtrak is alive if not exactly kicking. Still, Amtrak somehow managed to set another all-time record for passengers carried. With Amtrak's new president and many new faces on Capitol Hill, the nation's intercity rail passenger carrier may be in for a very interesting ride in 2007 and the years beyond.

We had some very successful conventions this past year. Louisville saw the AREMA folks, both C&S and track, gathering for two very successful sessions. RSSI's exhibit and REMSA's World Rail Expo 2006 were both smash hits for both visitors and exhibitors. I'm looking forward to seeing what AREMA does to top things in 2007.

NRC started off the year with a rousing meeting in Palm Springs, Calif., with Jon McGrath taking the reins as chairman of the organization his father headed years ago. As Jon enters his second term next month, I just want to say he's carrying on a proud family tradition and tell him to keep up the good work. (After that stream of kind words, maybe he'll buy me lunch at the NRC annual conference in Miami the week after New Year's.)

My crystal ball says railroads will have to watch for a traffic decrease in 2007 due to slowing in the housing market and in domestic auto production, but it should be a good year overall.

My best wishes for a blessed and happy holiday.

George S. Sokulski Associate Publisher