三条高铁26日开通运营 中国高铁时代新阶段（2014年12月26日）
North America :US
2004 1.72 trillion ton-miles were shipped by rail ; a market share of 40%
EU about 16% of the internationalshipment by rail
In EU:
•Freight corridors in doubt
Passengers trains have priority over other traffic
Two corridors have been implemented
Rail transportation in Europe is far from being a viable alternative for all but the least time-sensitive cargo
一条双线160km长的货运铁路，这条线路从鹿特丹港口到德国边境城市Zevenaar/Emmerich，预计2007年竣工，耗资46(47)亿欧元，是荷兰最大的基础设施项目.•德国段，预计2015年开工，2022年完工。预计投资15亿欧元。
In US:
railroad have traditional three business activities:
bulk freight（ not only but also）having its own type of railroad car
Break-bulk freight placed in boxcars
Automobiles
The advent of intermodal transportation changed the railroad business:
Increasing number of containers placed on container carriers
Truck-trailer货车挂车on piggy-back cars
First these container carrierwere designed to be one container high then double stacks
•The striking discrepancy between North America and Europe
US once break in 1970s and now transform to customer-oriented industry
unionpacific美国联合太平洋铁路公司 bought Southern Pacific•南太平洋鐵路於1996年由聯合太平洋鐵路所收購
From the traditional cargos moving to containers
EU
•The national railroads are such bloated bureaucracies that progress is slow andsuccess is elusive
In 2000， EU railroad companies passed a resolution that they opened its network to eachother’s crew and engines
In 2006, still a plan /France oppose opening
Two railroad gauges, five electrical systems and sixteen signaling systems
