Author: Frank N. Wilner

Commentary
  • News

Send iron horses to glue factory: NITL

Frustrated that rail rates are higher than desired by its members, and failing to convince Congress to repeal Staggers Rail Act provisions providing carriers greater rate-making freedoms, the National Industrial Transportation League (NITL) is attempting a Hail Mary, asking the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to confiscate railroad private property to achieve its aims.
Commentary

Where does the buck stop on HSR and Amtrak?

That President Obama mentioned not a word on high speed rail or Amtrak in his State of the Union speech reflects on the rather dreadful manner in which his administration has pursued the presidential vision in support of expanded rail passenger service.

Commentary

Blame aplenty for high speed rail woes

Don’t assume, based on headlines, an obituary for high speed rail just yet. A more accurate analogy is an induced coma brought on by poor planning and implementation amidst an increased necessity to pare federal deficits.

Commentary

Amtrak CEO holds to focus on the future

To economists and financial analysts whose obsession is return on investment, opinion leaders advocating smaller government, and corporate executives captivated by stock prices, Amtrak President Joe Boardman is surely a curiosity.
Commentary

2014: Railroads face problematic Washington landscape

Take it from an iron horse’s mouth that if it ain’t one damn thing, it’s another, and 2014 will present for railroads a repast of challenges on Capitol Hill, before the Surface Transportation Board (STB) and federal courts, and at the labor bargaining table.
Commentary

Are two-person crews less safe than a single engineer?

News item: The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) ordered MTA Metro-North Railroad to have two qualified crewmembers in the lead cab until Metro-North’s signal system is updated to ensure automatic train control (ATC) slows trains automatically if the engineer fails to adhere to a speed reduction requirement greater than 20 mph below maximum allowable speed.
Commentary
  • News

STB nominee Miller: A fresh perspective

Any notion that Debra (Deb) Miller, President Obama’s nominee to succeed Frank Mulvey at the Surface Transportation Board, is a gullible “Dorothy from Kansas” should be ditched chop-chop.