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Abstract
The term “short line” refers to all Class II and III railroads. Historically, they have played an important role in the transportation of agricultural products. The purpose of this study was to assess the state of the short line railroad industry and its role in the grain logistics system. Specific objectives for the study included: (1) developing a list of Federal and State short line assistance programs, including their costs and benefits, (2) surveying the operating characteristics of short line railroads, (3) assessing the characteristics of short line agricultural carload traffic, and (4) identifying managers’ perceptions on which service characteristics are most important in determining short line success.