Why a new president and Congress must support smart freight rail policy
Our country’s railroads support every business sector, and smart policy can ensure they continue to operate efficiently. (Partner Content)
Our country’s railroads support every business sector, and smart policy can ensure they continue to operate efficiently. (Partner Content)
When perusing a car lot for the right vehicle, you may not think about trains. Why would you? Well, because if not for freight trains, your options would be limited, and the car that fits your budget might not be so affordable.
If you want to quickly grasp the current proposal in Washington to increase the weight limits on shipping trucks, your first stop should be the zoo.
Global business today has never been more competitive, as barriers to the exchange of goods, knowledge and capital continue to decrease. In this new and smaller world, the success of a business is often determined by speed, efficiency and reliability.
The U.S. freight rail industry is among the most successful comeback stories in American history.
The freight rail industry was partially deregulated in 1980. To say that it was a catalyst that transformed the industry is an understatement, says Robert Gallamore, a nationally recognized expert on railroad and intermodal economics, technology and safety.
By the late 1970s, more than 20 percent of America's freight rail network was owned by bankrupt railroads. An entire industry stood on the brink of collapse.
Although you probably don’t think much about how things we use every day get to where they need to be, America’s railroads have. It’s their job to keep up with the rising global demand for goods, delivering them safely, on time and affordably. But the industry also delivers some hidden gems that come with the convenience of a rail industry that keeps our economy moving.
On an otherwise uneventful Sunday in June, leaders in Washington, D.C. began to panic. The sixth-largest company in the nation had slipped into bankruptcy. Its collapse threatened the stability of an entire industry and the health of the nation’s economy.
Today, America’s freight rail system is the envy of the world. Thirty-five years ago, it was in shambles, and many of the nation’s railroads were near bankruptcy. In one telling measure of the industry’s condition — and a metaphor for freight rail at the time — stationary freight cars routinely fell off the rails because of rotting crossties.
