Engineering and Feasibility Study for Triangle Railroad Holding Company: Semi-Truck Transportation on Rail
Manav Panchal, ASU

 

This report evaluates the engineering and economic feasibility of using rail transportation for semi-trucks. Commissioned by Triangle Railroad Holding Company, the study focuses on equipment requirements, budget estimates, and long-term cost analyses over a 20-year period. The report examines the types of equipment needed for loading, offloading, and transporting semi-trucks, the maximum weight limit per truck set, and the maximum number of truck sets a train can haul. Furthermore, the study provides estimates on the annual number of truck sets required to break even and the distance necessary to make rail transport economically viable.


The increasing demand for cost-effective and sustainable freight transportation has made intermodal transport—a combination of road and rail—a key area of interest. This study aims to determine the viability of incorporating semi-trucks into this transportation model.