For an illustration of how a major transport hub can become a major bottleneck, affecting the entire country's economy, see this short video report from the Wall Street Journal. It's worth your time.
It looks as if imports from other countries are contracting sharply as consumer demand in the USA declines. That will help ease the backlog caused by earlier bottlenecks in hubs such as Chicago. However, the backlog has built up over a year or more. It's going to take more than a week or two to clear the overhang, and service and repair the strains caused to transport routes and facilities like railroads.
Makes you think, no?
Peter
Congress should pass a law prohibiting bad weather.That'll fix it.
ReplyDeleteevmick: I think they are trying that.
ReplyDeleteAnother pinch point on the East Coast is Baltimore. An ageing tunnel in Baltimore City is a bottleneck for Amtrak and other railroads. It would be almost impossible to enlarge it to relieve the congestion.
ReplyDeleteBaltimore, NY all of them in the NE
ReplyDeleteWe are working off infrastructure build by the PRR, NY Central, and B&O.
Another choke point is the multiple rail bridges at Pittsburgh.
ReplyDeleteAnd lets also ignore the irreplaceable transformer stations carrying Canadian hydroelectricity down to the Northeastern States.
Rail switching yards are just as vulnerable as electrical substations
ReplyDelete