Time is right for rail growth’

AN ECONOMIST for the US fabricating and metalworking industry has sifted through the current financial rubble of surging oil prices and transportation sector woes to find a major growth opportunity for manufacturers – the rail business. “Although in general the transportation arena has been hit hard by the economic downturn and many traditional areas are in some distress, one surprise in this sector is the rail industry with a solid expectation for growth given the realities of fuel costs,” says Dr. Chris Kuehl, economic analyst for the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association