Proponents note that the overall cost of the project would be recouped within a few decades, as the volume of tunnel freight transport activity increased, reaching an estimated 3 percent of the world's total physical cargo or 100 million tons annually.
Distrust of the GDP numbers has prompted Capital Economics, a research firm based in London, to create its own proxy of economic activity, which includes electricity output, domestic freight volumes, cargo traffic at ports, passenger transport and floor area under construction.
Union Pacific was no different but increased coal mining activity in Powder River Basin region situated in parts of Wyoming and Montana could reverse the slide in coal freight volumes for the company.