Capability of American railroads to provide ample capacity for handling expanded coal production is briefly examined in the light of two studies, one private, the other governmental, which widely differ on the subject. Railroad officials, supported by a Department of Transportation (DOT) study, claim they can add more capacity as new coal mines and power plants go onstream. Figures concerning the production and delivery time of cars, locomotives and rail are given to help shed some light on the controversy.
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A 2004 study studied this question.