19 Oct 2009
For More Information Contact:
AAR Communications
Holly Arthur 202-639-2100
harthur@aar.org
AAR Lauds FRA Preliminary National Rail Plan
Recognizes Need for Law, Policies that Support Healthy Freight Rail
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oct. 19, 2009 – The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today applauded the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Preliminary National Rail Plan and its recognition that freight rail’s investment in infrastructure maintenance and capacity enhancements meets national safety, reliability and capacity needs.
“This preliminary plan is an excellent first step in developing a longer-range national rail plan that ensures the U.S. freight rail system continues to be the safest, most efficient and cost effective in the world,” said AAR President and CEO Edward R. Hamberger.
In its plan, FRA highlighted the many achievements of freight rail since being partially deregulated in 1980. In addition to significant safety and energy efficiency improvements, FRA cited freight rail’s inherent efficiency as the reason the industry has been able to build and maintain its own infrastructure, add capacity, host passenger operations, and pay hundreds of millions of dollars in local property taxes to communities all around the country.
“Railroads are eager to meet the freight and passenger transportation challenges of the 21st century, and having a national rail plan will allow us to set policies that ensure success,” said Hamberger. “We look forward to working with FRA as they meet with rail stakeholders around the country to address the many important issues outlined in the plan’s framework, including cost equity, safety technologies and energy efficiency.”
The full preliminary National Rail Plan is available on FRA’s Web site: http://www.fra.dot.gov/Downloads/RailPlanPrelim10-15.pdf
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Editors Note: The Association of American Railroads is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association whose members include the major freight railroads, or Class I railroads, of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, as well as Amtrak. Class I railroads represent 67 percent of the U.S. freight rail mileage and 90 percent of freight railroad industry employees. Railroads account for 43 percent of intercity freight volume — more than any other mode of transportation. To learn more about how freight rail works for America, the environment and for you, please visit: www.freightrailworks.org.