首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
In recent years, railroads have been combining with each other, merging into super system, causing heightened concerns about mon
In recent years, railroads have been combining with each other, merging into super system, causing heightened concerns about mon
admin
2010-07-06
30
问题
In recent years, railroads have been combining with each other, merging into super system, causing heightened concerns about monopoly. As recently as 1995, the top four railroads accounted for fewer than 70% of the total ton miles moved by rails. Next year, after a series of mergers is completed, just four railroads will control well over 90% of all the freight moved by major rail carriers.
Supporters of the new super systems argue that these mergers will allow for substantial cost reductions and better coordinated service. Any threat of monopoly, they argue, is removed by fierce competition from trucks. 61)
But many shippers complain that for heavy bulk commodities traveling long distances, such as coal, chemicals, and grain, trucking is too costly and the railroads therefore have them by the throat.
The vast consolidation within the rail industry means that most shippers are served by only one Rail Company. Railroads typically charge such "captive" shippers 20% to 30% more than they do when another railroad is competing for the business. 62)
Shippers who feel they are being overcharged have the right to appeal to the federal government’s Surface Transportation Board for rate relief, but the process is expensive, time-consuming, and will work only in truly extreme cases.
Railroads justify rate discrimination against captive shippers on the grounds that in the long run it reduces everyone’s cost. 63)
If railroads charged all customers the same average rate, they argue, shippers who have the option of switching to trucks or other forms of transportation would do so, leaving remaining customers to shoulder the cost of keeping up the line.
64)
It’s a theory to which many economists subscribe, but in practice it often leaves railroads in the position of determining which companies will flourish and which will fail. "
Do we really want railroads to be the arbiters of who wins and who loses in the marketplace?" asks Martin Bercovici, a Washington lawyer who frequently represents shippers.
Many captive shippers also worry they will soon be hit with a round of huge rate increases.
65)
The railroad industry as a whole, despite its brightening fortunes, still does not earn enough to cover the cost of the capital it must invest to keep up with its surging traffic.
Yet railroads continue to borrow billions to acquire one another, with Wall Street cheering them on. Consider the $10.2 billion bid by Norfolk Southern and CSX to acquire Conrail this year. Conrail’s net railway operating income in 1996 was just $427 million, less than half of the carrying costs of the transaction. Who’s going to pay for the rest of the bill? Many captive shippers fear that they will, as Norfolk Southern and CSX increase their grip on the market.
选项
答案
如果感到有人多收费,客户有权上诉到联邦政府的“陆路运输局”以争取价格下调,但这个过程既耗财又耗时,且只有在极端特殊的情况下才会奏效。
解析
转载请注明原文地址:https://jikaoti.com/ti/WZasFFFM
本试题收录于:
公共英语四级笔试题库公共英语(PETS)分类
0
公共英语四级笔试
公共英语(PETS)
相关试题推荐
【61】【65】
ThestabilityoftheUSbankingsystemismaintainedbymeansofsupervisionandregulation,inspections,depositinsurance,and
WhatbroughtaboutthedeclineinthedemandforAmericanfarmproducts?TheAgriculturalAdjustmentActencouragedAmericanfa
Manyphrasesusedtodescribemonetarypolicy,suchas"steeringtheeconomytoasoftlanding"or"atouchonthebrakes",make
Unliketheprivateenterprisemodel,whichisthefoundationoftheU.S.healthcaresystem,Canadahasahealthcaresystemba
Aflighttoothersolarsystemswillbemademorepossibleby______.ItcanbeinferredfromParagraph2thathumansocietywi
Whydidtheintelligencetestbecomeunpopularinthepastfewdecades?
Almostdaily,thegulfbetweeneducationandemploymentwidens.Careersofficerscomplainaboutasystemthatpresentsthemwith
ItiscommonlybelievedintheUnitedStatesthatschooliswherepeoplegotogetaneducation.Nevertheless,ithasbeensaid
EversinceGregorMendel’sfamousexperimentswithhybridsweetpeas,ithasbeenknownthattheremustbeunitaryelementswit
随机试题
下列关于现况研究的描述,错误的是
【案例】男性,62岁。突发胸痛2小时来诊,既往糖尿病史5年,脑向_栓2个月。BP100/70mmHg,心电图示如图15。据病史及心电图考虑诊断是
锤击沉管灌注桩施工,局部复打施工时,应超过断桩或缩颈区()m以上。
基准收益率作为投资决策者对项目资金时间价值的估价,是投资资金应当获得的()盈利率水平。
《中华人民共和国建筑法》规定,在城市规划区内的建筑工程,建设单位中领建筑工程施工许可证的条件是,已经( )。
投资管理活动的性质决定了证券投资基金持有的金融资产或金融负债是非交易性的。( )
下列选项中.关于幼儿园课程内容选择的正确说法是()
品德是由道德认识、道德情感、道德意志、道德行为等四个要素构成的综合体,其中道德认识是道德情感与道德行为的(),道德情感是道德认识转化为道德行为的催化剂。
Insomecountries,societalandfamilialtreatmentoftheelderlyusuallyreflectsagreatdegreeofindependenceandindividual
Whatcanweknowabouttheelephantsinzoos?
最新回复
(
0
)