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Abstract
This study examines the economic feasibility of investment in an intermodal terminal in west
Texas and its implications for reducing roadway maintenance costs and CO2 emissions. The study
focuses on cotton, a leading agricultural commodity in Texas, which is highly dependent on the
international market and truck transport from west Texas to the Dallas-Fort Worth complex for
purposes of accessing containerized railroad transportation to West Coast ports. Analyses were
accomplished with a spatial model of the U.S. cotton industry that features details regarding cotton
handling, storage, and transportation activities. The analyses indicate an intermodal terminal in
west Texas’ intensive cotton-production region to be economically viable, attracting nearly 30% of
Texas’ average cotton production. Implementation of an intermodal terminal in west Texas would
annually reduce truck travel on state roadways and lower pavement maintenance expenditure by
approximately $1 million and reduce CO2 emissions by 42% to 47%.