The Mendocino Railway in northern California, more commonly known as the “Skunk Train,” is what is called a “short line” rail service. “This would instantly put a number of short rail lines out of business,” said Mendocino president Robert Pinoli. The other irony of the proposed CARB rule is that it will most likely cause more pollution anyway. If short rail lines go under because of the new rule, they will need to be replaced by about four semi-trucks per freight car. As an example, Pinoli said a Vermont-based short line that moves 20,000 freight cars a year would be replaced by 90,000 truck trips.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 18, 2024 21:57 UTC