April 11 -- NADO Releases New Report on Short Line Rail

The National Association of Development Organizations Research Foundation has released a new special report, Short Line Railroads: Saving an Endangered Species of Freight Transport, which analyzes the role of two regional development organizations in New York and Pennsylvania in preserving rail infrastructure and service in rural regions.

This report highlights the action of the Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board and the SEDA-Council of Governments to form rail authorities and save short rail lines that would have otherwise been abandoned. These lines continue to be critical for economic development, with rail infrastructure being central to creating and retaining jobs in each region.

The report covers details such as:

• How the regional rail authorities were developed

• Economic benefits of investing in short line rail
• Environmental benefits of shipping by rail
• Multimodal freight transportation
• Advice and lessons learned from the regions profiled

"Short line rail is a vital aspect of rural transportation networks in many areas. This special report is timely as regions look toward efficient, environmental and multi-modal solutions to moving freight. It provides excellent models for regional development organizations to become engaged in short line rail operations," said NADO President Leanne Mazer.

For additional information or copies, visit NADO’s transportation Web site, www.RuralTransportation.org/files/shortline.pdf, or contact Carrie Kissel, NADO Transportation Program Manager, at 202.624.8829 or ckissel@nado.org.

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