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Illinois Central Railroad Essay

855 Words4 Pages

The Illinois Central Railroad Company (IC) was a large railroad company that aided in the industrial success and development of the west. It was constructed in 1851 to 1857 and started in Cairo, Illinois. The Illinois Central Railroad tested the success of federal subsidation in this industry because it was “Americas first land-grant railroad”. The Illinois Central Railroad holds much historical significance as it is a model for other railroad companies to come. There are many aspects that must be taken into consideration when looking to improve the current situation of this company. To promote a more prosperous and efficient railroad company, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of this company will be examined. To start, the miles of railroad owned, operated, and controlled by the Illinois Central Railroad Company …show more content…

As of 1927, the Illinois Central Railroad owned 11,357.75 miles or railroad. This is a considerably high value especially in comparison to other railroad companies during this time. For example, the Norfolk and Western Railway Company only held 4,477.22 miles of railroad in 1927. Another example is the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad Company (NYC&St. L) which owns only 2,848.75 miles of railroad as of 1927. The IC owned over twice the amount of railroad as the Norfolk Railway and almost 4 times the amount of the NYC&St. L railroad. These companies both operate in close range to the IC in near or in the same states so they are close competition. In comparison to these rivals within the firm, the IC obtains the ability to cover longer distances when transporting goods and passengers where these companies lack. With more miles of railroad, it is more likely the Illinois Central Railroad Company will meet the needs of the demand volume more effectively since they have more options for travel. This

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