1958 - Rail Head Favors Consolidation of Lines

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Roanoke Times - March 13, 1958

Rail Head Favors Consolidation of Lines

   CHICAGO, March 12 (AP) - A railroad president said today he favors 
consolidation of the nations 220,000 miles of railroads into a 
limited number of large systems, "no more than 20 as a maximum and 
preferably a much smaller number."
   John W. Barringer, president of the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie 
Railroad Co. said large-scale consolidations could save the country's 
railroads a billion dollars a year.
   Barringer told the annual meeting of the American Railway 
Engineering Assn. that the carriers need a billion dollars extra a 
year "to modernize their plant and revitalize their services."
   He said with the large-scale consolidations, the competition of 
two or possible three railroads could be provided at the principal 
centers except possibly in New England.

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- Ron Davis, Roger Link