Commentary

Oberman: STB Remains Actively Involved in Rail Reg Mods

We hosted a June 15 call with Marty Oberman, Chairman of the Surface Transportation Board, on Thursday. We see a reciprocal switching ruling well before year-end, and a bottleneck ruling potentially in 2024. Rail service continues to be at the forefront of the STB’s agenda. The CPKC merger has increased competition through new north-south lanes, though further Class I consolidation is increasingly unlikely.

Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department (TTD), AFL-CIO

TTD to Biden: Maintain STB’s Chairmanship

Removing Surface Transportation Board (STB) Chair Martin J. Oberman or failing to reappoint him “would undermine the significant progress the Board has made during his tenure,” Transportation Trades Department (TTD), AFL-CIO President

Commentary

BNSF Service Metrics, in Uncomplicated Terms

A little more than a week after its April 26-27, 2022 “Urgent Issues in Freight Rail Service” hearing, the Surface Transportation Board issued updated, more-comprehensive rules for reporting performance and employment metrics.

GRR received Honorable Mention in Railway Age’s 2021 Short Line and Regional Railroad Awards program.

GRR Enters Asset Purchase Agreement

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) on May 25 granted Grenada Railroad LLC’s (GRR) request for a partial waiver of a 60-day advance notice requirement, allowing the short line to enter into an asset purchase agreement and operate approximately 228 miles of rail line in Mississippi on or after May 28, 2023.

STB Eyes Alternatives to URCS (UPDATED May 25)

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) in October 2022 sought public comment on a new report that identifies and evaluates alternatives to the Uniform Railroad Costing System (URCS) that could be used as a replacement general-purpose costing methodology. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the Western Coal Traffic League (WCTL) respond.

Justin Broyles of R. J. Corman Railroad Group (left) and Robert (Buck) Rogers of CN have joined the Railroad-Shipper Transportation Advisory Council.

Broyles, Rogers Join RSTAC

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) on May 23 reported appointing Justin Broyles of R.J. Corman Railroad Group and Robert (Buck) Rogers of CN to the Railroad-Shipper Transportation Advisory Council (RSTAC). RSTAC, which was established by the ICC Termination

Exemplary Executives

RAILWAY AGE, MAY 2023 ISSUE: Railway Age’s 2023 honorees—selected by our subscribers—approach their roles with an entrepreneurial spirit, and a commitment to service, safety and sustainability.

Commentary

UP’s Court Challenge to CPKC: More Than Meets the Eye

On May 3, Union Pacific (UP) filed a case in the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit), captioned Union Pacific Railroad Company v. Surface Transportation Board and United States of America (Case

“The delays and unpredictability seen in rail service are partly the result of the railroads’ embrace of precision-scheduled railroading (PSR) and its drastic reductions in workforce and assets to reduce operating ratios at the expense of service,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas J. Vilsack told the Surface Transportation Board members.

USDA to STB: Move ‘Quickly to Strengthen Our Rail System’

“Unfortunately, while rail service has improved from its worst levels last year, it remains inadequate and unreliable for many agricultural shippers,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas J. Vilsack told the five Surface Transportation Board (STB) members in identical letters dated May 12. “There is more work to be done.” This includes, he wrote, moving forward on open proceedings and reciprocal switching; providing clarity on the railroads’ common carrier obligation; and collecting more first-mile/last-mile (FMLM) service data.

The May 11 hearing, “Getting Back on Track: Exploring Rail Supply Chain Resilience and Challenges,” was led by Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Tex.), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.

For House Rail Subcommittee, an Earful on Supply Chain Improvements

The rail industry’s role in overcoming supply chain challenges was the theme of a May 11 hearing of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. It was part of what the T&I Committee called its continued “focus on ongoing supply chain challenges throughout the transportation sector, with the goal of identifying potential legislative solutions.” Among the five witnesses was American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) President Chuck Baker, who urged Congress members “to wield their pen with precision.”

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