Since the freight transportation network first came under the government spotlight in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act1, the need to diversify the transport network has been a central issue in the development of planning and policy. This legislation, enacted in 1991, spurred the development of a modern intermodal transport network that is intended to increase the efficiency of freight handling practices across the nation.

Important parts of the development have dealt with improving traffic flow to and from the major transport hubs with a strong focus on the roads that are used to connect different modes of mass transport, like sea and rail. A greater part of the difficulty for intermodal transport in the past was the lack of direct rail connections to many seaports that forced containers to be sent overland by truck, often over roads that were unsuited to the increased size and volume of the traffic2. The issues with the roadways are largely being addressed by the individual states with the introduction of fast transport corridors and improvements to the freeway system that connects the major seaports in the United States.

The expected boom in freight handling along the Eastern seaboard has also seen extensive investment in new seaport facilities that are directly connected to the recently overhauled rail networks. The development of intermodal facilities in Memphis3 that are directly connected to seaports along both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts have become a major transport hub for efficiently moving containerized freight across inland America. These kinds of intermodal connections are reducing the need to send cargo over middle distance by truck and so they are reducing the pressure on the roadways as well as on the environment.

At the same time, the largest rail transport companies have made significant investments in changing their rolling stock from bulk coal and grain cars to container cars. The continued increases in containerized cargo that is entering the country are making intermodal freight a much more consistent and lucrative business at a time when bulk transport of raw materials has been in decline.

All of this development and the expansion of the freight handling facilities along the Eastern seaboard have made a significant contribution to the recovery of the economy. By creating jobs and revivifying regional economies, the development of the intermodal freight network across America has made itself an essential element in the future stability and growth of the economy.

References:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermodal_Surface_Transportation_Efficiency_Act
2. https://www.transportation1.org/tif3report/intermodal.html
3. https://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2013/feb/14/editorial-our-intermodal-future/