Reuters 8/30/17:
Harvey may cause long-term disruption on Houston's rail tracks
(Reuters) - Major U.S. railroads have warned that it could be a long time before normal operations resume in the Houston area where Tropical Storm Harvey has caused catastrophic flooding.
Closure of rail lines in the grain transport hub and nexus for cross-border traffic with Mexico presents a costly headache for customers ranging from automakers to farmers who use the lines to send ethanol, cereals and auto parts to and from Mexico or to be loaded onto ships.
Union Pacific Corp and Berkshire Hathaway Inc’s BNSF Railway, the two leading U.S. railroads, and regional railroad Kansas City Southern have suspended operations in the area affected by the storm.
“We don’t have a historical precedent with this one,” said Thomas Williamson, owner of Florida-based rail broker Transportation Consultants Co. “I expect service to be disrupted anywhere from two to six weeks.”