12/29/2016
Rail News: BNSF Railway
Rail News Home Rail Industry Trends December 2016 Rail News: Rail Industry Trends
By Edward R. Hamberger Congressman Bill Shuster of Pennsylvania, the Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, once said, "Transportation is the lifeblood of the American economy and our way of life."I couldn't agree more. Privately owned freight railroads, which invested $30 billion in 2015 alone, are an essential part of an integrated transportation network that together moves 54 tons of freight per year for every American. In fact, the freight-rail industry serves nearly every industrial sector. From the steel products used to construct everything from automobiles to skyscrapers to the 8,000 plus parts used to assemble wind turbines, our industrial nation would not be possible without the support of a rail network built to safely and efficiently carry the load."Forces are undermining freight rail's ability to generate revenues and continue record private investments," Hamberger says.