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Abstract
Using the data obtained from the structured interviews of 33 professionals with a high
level of technical knowledge specific to the subject of intermodal rail yards and their associated
operations, this study addresses 10 issues that cover not only the design and layout issues within
a terminal, but also broader topics such as administration/ownership, location, and other topics
that may be overlooked by the designers.
This is still a preliminary report, so we will only present discussion regarding some of the
results that we consider to be of greatest import concerning the development of intermodal rail
yards over the next decade. Based upon the level of collective expertise and insights expressed
by the respondents, we feel these 10 issues, plus two which came to our attention from this study,
warrant consideration in the planning for future intermodal rail yards in the Chicago region. Our
key findings include that while a general level of interest for technology is high, it is unlikely
that deployment of them will be fast enough to provide sufficient capacity increases to counter
the expected demand growth. Also, future Intermodal yards will likely to be at least 300 acres
and 7000 feet in length. Given their size, it is likely that those facilities will be located in semirural
or rural areas. While there is a high level of awareness for environmental issues among
freight professionals, the perception tends to focus on the direct impacts associated with the
Intermodal yards, while broader implications are often unnoticed.