Insights 09 28 Cities are growing. As populations increase, so do the challenges related to municipal solid waste. While this is a growing problem, it is not a new one. The City of Seattle faced this very challenge more than three decades ago.
Thanks to Waste Management and Union Pacific Railroad , they found an environmentally friendly and cost effective solution — a model other growing communities can follow. If you are a supplier, contractor or carrier, please visit the Suppliers page. Union Pacific. Emergencies: Home Customers.
From big ideas to the basics, your source for improved transportation performance. Share This. We take a close look at all of the items that ride the rails and keep America moving.
Building Materials. ET Secure IT. Suggest a new Definition Proposed definitions will be considered for inclusion in the Economictimes. Bharat Emission Standards Definition: These are the standards set up by the Indian government which specify the amount of air pollutants from internal combustion engines, including those that vehicles can emit.
Description: Vehicle emission norms were introduced in India in for petrol and in for diesel vehicles. Since , Euro norms are followed in India under the name Bharat Stage Emission Standards for four wheeled vehicles.
In a few cities, Bharat stage IV norms are in place since April Bharat stage IV is proposed to be enforced throughout India by April It has already been put into use in 13 major cities. Upgrading the emission norms requires the manufacturing companies to upgrade their technology, which in turn increases the cost of the vehicle.
Cost is one of the main reasons for the slow upgrade of emission standards. However, there are also arguments that the increase in cost is made up by savings in health costs as the pollutants causing diseases are decreased with the upgrade in emission standards. Fuels also play a crucial role in meeting these emission norms.
Fuel specifications have also been aligned to its corresponding European production norms. Road Transport Definition: Road transport means transportation of goods and personnel from one place to the other on roads.
The investment required in road transport is very less compared to other modes of transport such as railways and air transport. The cost of construction, operating cost and maintaining roads is cheaper than that of the railways. Description: Road transport can be classified as transporting either goods and materials or transporting people.
The major advantage of road transport is that it can enable door-to-door delivery of goods and materials and can provide a very cost-effective means of cartage, loading and unloading.
Sometimes road transport is the only way for carrying goods and people to and from rural areas which are not catered to by rail, water or air transport. Delivery of goods between cities, towns and small villages is made possible only through road transport.
However, in spite of various merits, road transport has some major limitations. For instance, there are more chances of accidents and breakdowns in case of road transport. So, motor transport is not as safe as other means of transport. Another cost-related advantage of rail are the low public costs. The track maintenance is being managed by railroad companies and are therefore considered private costs for these companies. As most of these costs are paid for indirectly by the passenger services on train tracks, train freighting bares only a very small amount of these costs.
Whereas trucks pay fees for the use of roads, freight trains can use the tracks against relative low costs. A rolling highway is a combination of rail freight and truck transport.
This transportation method lets the trucks, loaded with freight, ride straight onto specialized wagons, which allows the trucks to drive across the entire train. Once the trucks are loaded on the train, the truck drivers can rest and the train will transport the trucks to the unloading station, where the trucks will depart the train and continue the remaining journey by road.
There are a number of advantages when using this transportation method. First and foremost is the fuel cost reduction. Trains are a far more fuel efficient method of transportation compared to trucks, considering the amount of cargo a single train can transport. The Staggers Act really freed up railroads to compete by letting the railroads set their own rates. Prior to Staggers, railroads were in pretty marginal condition around I believe now we are in the second golden era for railroads.
The first golden era began years ago when everything was moved by railroads. What needed to be done, and what was done, was a weeding out of railroad lines.
Iowa had 12, miles of railroads in and now there is only miles rail lines. What is left is a very efficient system, which has gotten a lot busier. There is a tremendous amount of hazardous material traveling through the state: ethanol and now crude oil. Inspectors still enforce the Track Safety standards, but a major concern has become this hazardous material. Lines that used to never have hazardous materials now do. Because of this, I might be on that line three times a year for added risk.
Some rail lines are lightweight rails and are not built for heavier cars. Rail lines that carry ethanol have tremendous amount of money. The ethanol plants and railroad companies pay to improve rail lines so they can carry heavier cars and therefore, carry more hazardous materials. Railroad companies realize the extra risk and know they have to have track in good condition.
Most of the railroads are taking their own capital and improving their own lines. There is some public funding. In Iowa, there is a revolving loan, which helps railroad companies get established. This loan can help create a spur [a short branch of line that connects to another main line] to allow a railroad business get started. This public loan program makes up a very small percentage of the money spent.
Today, railroads basically do it [repairs and improvements] on their own.
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