Rail industry trends related to waste transportation

The rail transportation environment is expected to affect decisions about the way in which the U.S. department of Energy (DOE), through its Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM), ships spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste (HLW). This paper addresses current and future trends in the railroad industry with an emphasis on the implications of those trends for OCRWM. The paper addresses a number of topics, ranging from deregulation to the economic health of the industry to labor relations. Of particular importance, however, are three major trends that will influence OCRWM's use of the railroads in the future: track abandonments, potential for contract agreements to set service and rates, and growth in the short-line railroads