Technology Is Changing The Railroad

Information technology is having a dramatic impact on a decidedly old-world industry -- railroad freight.

1 minute read

February 27, 2002, 10:00 AM PST

"Say trains to most people and they think about the passenger variety. But in the United States, the railroads with the greatest economic impact are those that transport cargo. Railroads haul 25 percent of U.S. freight. They are easily the most efficient way to move coal, grain and bulk chemicals. But the railroad companies have long had a sort of love-hate relationship with cutting-edge technology. They only abandoned coal-fired steam locomotives, for example, when General Motors developed the diesel-electric engine and gave demonstrations to railroads around the country in the 1940s. And even then, many railroads stuck with steam for years."

Thanks to Technology Review Editor

FULL STORY: Digital Railroad

Tuesday, February 26, 2002 in Massachusetts Institute Of Technology

Technology United States

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