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Everything Old (New) is New (Old) Again

Yeah, I’m confused too. Let’s start with CRANDIC.

To the uninitiated, that’s Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, a railroad that’s been around for some 113 years, since construction started in 1903. For a good many years, and into the 1950s, it was a fabled, classic interurban line running fast (120 plus MPH) electric trains between its two namesake cities. “Swing and sway the CRANDIC way” advertised speedy regular service if not on particularly level track and ballast. By 1953 it had bought its last lunch in terms of passengers, and hasn’t carried a passenger since. In its 21st century form, the railroad operates 100 miles of mainline and industrial track.

If the line hadn’t gone freight-only in 1953, the nearby and parallel Interstate 380, built between 1973 and 1985 would have done the job, probably with more fanfare. Had the CRANDIC continued operating passenger service without a subsidy, it’s likely the only thing running on the right of way today would be college fit-bitters and the occasional jackrabbit.

In 1947, right up adjacent to the CRANDIC right of way near Cedar Rapids, the Cedar Rapids Municipal Airport—now the Eastern Iowa Airport—was established. It now has a respectable number of commercial flights and is the closest commercial airport to Iowa City and the hugely popular University of Iowa. This brings us to “new again.”

Fast forward to now, when the thirty-something interstate suffers from too much traffic. In October 2015, largely initiated by the railroad, a feasibility study was commenced to determine the cost of starting a passenger rail service between Iowa City and Eastern Iowa Airport. The unreleased but reported results say the costs are higher than expected. But startup costs can be significantly reduced if CRANDIC kicks in its right of way and maintenance facility, for a reasonable subsidy, I presume. One of the possibilities studied includes electric, light rail type vehicles on private right of way. Another would be a heavy commuter rail train; a bad idea, in my opinion. But the electric option would be lovely.

Now on to new is old again.

After I lauded the federal government in this blog for giving the hardworking railroads a break and extending the deadline for positive train control (PTC), and after I bravely opined that the railroads would do everything possible to get PTC up and running as soon as possible, it was announced that CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Canadian National would not meet the new 2018 deadline. Slackers! I can understand NS, under attack by Canadian Pacific for a proxy-fight takeover, not wanting to implement PTC on lines it will just have to shed to stay solvent, what with declining coal traffic and the need to slim down to make its current shareholders happy enough to stay out of the fray. I can even understand CSX dragging a little, as coal is their mainstay as well. Had they implemented PTC on some lines they are now degrading or mothballing, they would have put a lot of money into it for a big goose egg return. Canadian National? I think they’re just out there whining to get attention.

So by 2018, when old becomes new, you may just be able to swing and sway the CRANDIC way…again. And when new becomes old…so very, very old…we just may have railroads needing more time for PTC…again. This time, as I ride the CRANDIC, I won’t support them. That part will be new.

©2016 – C. A. Turek – mistertrains@gmail.com

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