Legislative and Regulatory Issues Affecting Railroads
From one end of the country to the other, the United States is connected by the safest, most affordable, and most reliable freight rail system in the world. The seven large “Class I” railroads, working in cooperation with hundreds of smaller railroads and tens of thousands of rail customers, help deliver economic growth, support job creation, and provide public benefits that significantly improve our standard of living. Almost entirely privately owned and operated, freight railroads are essential to a stronger economy and a greener environment. At the Association of American Railroads, we work with regulatory agencies, lawmakers, and others to advance smart, effective public policies that will help ensure that freight railroads can continue delivering for America.
Some of the key public policy issues facing freight railroads today include:
The freight railroad industry’s success has been made possible, in part, by economic regulations that support railroads and their customers alike. This regulatory framework, brought about through passage of the Staggers Rail Act of 1980, helps keep costs low for shippers, encourages railroad capital investment—$480 billion since 1980—and enables freight railroads to support 150,000 high-paying rail jobs. For railroads to continue to be one of America’s private sector success stories, we must keep the regulatory framework that has made it all possible.
Every year America’s freight railroads invest billions of dollars to build and maintain a system that is safe, reliable, efficient and affordable. Even during the economic downturn, railroads have continued making record investments—including more than $20 billion in 2011—to grow and modernize the national rail network. And, unlike trucks, barges and airlines, which operate on infrastructure paid for by taxpayers, America’s freight railroads operate almost exclusively on infrastructure that they own, build, maintain, and pay for themselves. As the economy continues to recover, railroads must generate the capital required to maintain and even expand these critical investments.
Railroads are the environmentally-friendly way to move freight, thanks to their unique ability to fight highway gridlock, lower fuel consumption and reduce pollution. Through the development of new “green” technologies, environmentally-responsible operating practices and smart policy that promotes the use of greener transportation options, railroads are committed to and well-positioned for even greater environmental excellence in the years ahead.
America’s freight railroads are safer and more secure today than ever before. The industry’s outstanding safety record is a testament to the commitment railroads make to developing and implementing new safety-enhancing technologies and operating practices. The continuation of effective safety related programs—such as Operation Lifesaver—and the advancement of smart safety regulations is critical to improving on the industry’s stellar safety record.
Expanding both freight and passenger rail will help solve many of America’s 21st-century transportation challenges—from taking trucks off the road, easing highway congestion, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and easing wear and tear on our nation’s highways and bridges. Today, freight railroads provide the foundation for passenger rail—each year, tens of millions of passengers ride on trains operating on tracks owned by freight railroads. Freight railroads are committed to working with government officials, passenger rail stakeholders, and others to ensure that the future development of passenger rail yields a winning result for all parties involved.