Rail Customer Coalition

It’s official: @USDOT is ON BOARD 🚂with increased #freightrail competition, which is crucial in getting America’s economy back on track! 🛤️

Read the full @Bloomberg article: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-13/biden-transportation-chief-pushes-new-crackdown-on-mergers

We applaud @SecretaryPete and @USDOT for supporting the need for increased competition in transportation industries like #freightrail. 👏👏👏

Read the full @Bloomberg article: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-13/biden-transportation-chief-pushes-new-crackdown-on-mergers

You heard that right … @USDOT is staffing up to aid its new focus on competition. 👀

Now more than ever, the #STB must act on reforms that will provide America with a more competitive and reliable #freightrail system. We can’t wait any longer.

Monopolies are continuing to drive down ⬇️ #freightrail service & drive up ⬆️ prices. @TransportGOP & @TransportDems: We need regulatory reforms to unlock competition!

Flawed policies have weakened our #supplychain & put our economy at a crossroads.

We need the @TransportGOP & @TransportDems to help fix chronic #freightrail service problems.

The chickens at @FosterFarms are paying the ultimate price for continued #freightrail service disruptions.

This is another tragic reminder of the consequences of Precision Scheduled Railroading and need for accountability. #STB

“Every minute now counts as we try to save lives. You have never put us in this situation 5 days late with no inventory and 40 to 50 million chickens to feed,” says @FosterFarms about chronic #freightrail delays of critical feed shipments.

😬

Freight railroads introduced #PSR in 2017. As a result, millions of chickens aren’t just coming home to roost; they’re starving to death.

Amid skyrocketing egg prices, millions of unfed chickens will add insult to injury for American consumers, further straining supply chains and raising inflation.

It’s all due to chronic rail disruptions delaying critical shipments nationwide. The #STB needs to act NOW.

“We’re well past the point where we can count on railroad promises to fix the #freightrail problems they created themselves. The economy hangs in the balance unless lawmakers act to keep the railroads delivering for America,” says @JahnChris @AmChemistry in NEW @WashTimesOpEd.

AG Cooperatives: “One could have seen this train coming for the last three years.”

⁉️ It’s no surprise that flawed policies like PSR have put the U.S. #freightrail network – and our economy – at a crossroads.

We urge the #STB to act NOW to resolve chronic service problems.

Food Supply Chain: America’s #freightrail system is the backbone of the U.S. economy. We need the #STB to act NOW and support sensible solutions to get it back on track. 🛤️

Embargoes are a dangerous way for railroads to “fix” 💊 the serious problems they’ve created. They are putting the U.S. economy’s future in a dangerous position. Addressing symptoms of chronic #freightrail service problems only goes so far …

Chronic #freightrail service issues have far-reaching implications for the U.S. economy. Here’s one example that impacts farmers & consumers…

🚫 Embargoes should be the exception, NOT the norm.

The excessive use of embargoes imposed by the railroads is “yet another manifestation of the chronic service failures that are plaguing the U.S. #freightrail network.”

The railroads are “exploiting a gap in regulation and pushing the boundaries of what they can and can’t do” through the excessive use of embargoes.

Put simply, U.S. businesses cannot continue to operate under these unfair, monopolistic practices. We need the #STB to act NOW!

Soybean producers: Railroads shouldn’t be allowed to pick winners and losers in the U.S. economy, especially when the “losers” can’t access other ways to ship their goods to market.

Thanks @RogerMarshallMD for listening to shippers’ concerns.

With Congressional action, we can finally address chronic #freightrail service issues plaguing the U.S. economy.

Rail embargoes impact EVERYONE along the #supplychain – from the producer to the consumer.

‼️ We urge the #STB to move forward with regulatory reforms to address the root causes of chronic #freightrail service problems … BEFORE it’s too late.

American consumers agree …
Railroad companies are OFF track when it comes to competition.

🚨HOT OFF THE PRESS🚨
Former #STB Chair Dan Elliott explains the critical need for reciprocal switching in @theregreview.

“Now is the time to employ reciprocal switching to benefit the entire U.S. economy.”

“We’re going to need the railroads to, frankly, do a better job of providing service to our members if we’re going to continue to grow and succeed against our international competition,” says RCC member @AmChemistry

Rail failures are HURTING American manufacturers, farmers, and consumers. If passed, the Freight Rail Shipping Fair Market Act will…
✅ Fight rising prices
✅ Build a stronger supply chain
✅ Drive growth and investment
Support sensible solutions to get our economy moving again!

“The shippers’ and railroads’ objective should be the same. It should be getting the product to your customer as efficiently as possible … That was one of the benefits that shippers were supposed to realize from this new operating model. And we’re seeing the opposite.”

🚨Food Supply Threat🚨 #FreightRail is failing to deliver for U.S. rice farmers, putting their businesses and livelihoods at stake.

We urge Congress to keep our economy moving by passing the Freight Rail Shipping Fair Market Act.

Time’s ticking … and we can’t wait.

Thank you @RepRalphNorman for protecting American farmers’ interests! 👏👏👏

Read more: https://norman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1381

#FreightRail problems have reached a new low … forcing US farmers to run around like 🐔 with their heads ✂️ off.
This madness must stop! 🛑

Read @WIRED full story: https://www.wired.com/story/a-us-freight-rail-crisis-threatens-more-supply-chain-chaos/

“This agreement helps put one major problem to rest, but also highlights the work that needs to be done to resolve the freight rail problems that are continuing to harm the U.S. economy.”

Service problems have plagued #freightrail shippers for YEARS. We urge Congress to act NOW!

.@AFPMonline urges #STB priorities in bipartisan reauthorization bill:
✅ Enhance STB’s ability to address service issues
✅ Improve data access to better address problems
✅ Provide service standards
✅ Encourage STB to complete outstanding rulemakings

🚨Food Supply Threat🚨 #STB has expressed concern about railroads’ ability to meet grain shipping needs for upcoming harvest season.
We can’t let delays drive food prices ⬆️ and inventories ⬇️
Support the Freight Rail Shipping Fair Market Act