This is the third and final policy blog in the series investigating train length. The purpose is to survey the impacts and implications of longer trains to the U.S. economy, public safety, and the world. Because railroads are so central to the nation’s supply chain and transportation network, it is…
In this blog series, we are tackling the question of what longer trains mean for the United States and the world. We are using three lenses to evaluate this policy issue: safety, costs, and climate impact. Be sure to read our first blog overviewing modern day freight rail and explaining…
Longer trains can be a blessing or a curse, depending on where you sit. Certainly when stuck at a blocked crossing, one can only see the negatives. But what does a more wholistic assessment of longer trains reveal? Does the frustration outweigh the benefits, or are longer trains a key…
On Friday, February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train moving through Ohio derailed in the city of East Palestine. While the definitive cause is still being investigated, reports indicate that 38 cars, including 11 carrying hazardous materials, derailed from a 150-car train with many damaged by fire. Subsequently, officials…
After years of negotiation through the collective bargaining process and a number of close calls with threatened labor strikes, President Biden on Friday signed into law a settlement of terms between railroad unions and railroad companies. The terms of the agreement are those recommended by the Presidential Emergency Board (PEB),…
For years, Amtrak has been seeking to restore passenger service to a section of track along the Gulf Coast between New Orleans, LA and Mobile, AL. The matter has been controversial for a few reasons and worked its way all the way to the Surface Transportation Board (STB). In the…
The relationship between passenger rail and freight rail often comes across the way cinematic thrillers depict tension between the FBI and local police. Both want to ensure public safety and maintain order, but each wants to flex its jurisdiction and make sure it gets the respect it deserves. Like fictionalized…
Amtrak is seeking to establish twice daily passenger service between Mobile, Alabama and New Orleans, Louisiana. With Hurricane Katrina damaging rail infrastructure back in 2005, many passenger routes along the Gulf Cost have long been dormant. However, over the last several years, Amtrak has increasingly ramped up its efforts to…
When famous Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary was asked by his son why he didn’t invest in Tesla, he said he was not interested in investing in the car company and was instead interested in shorting it. To hear him tell it then, “I love the car; now the stock…
Public policy is notorious for intersecting with various other policies, market forces, and public and private actions. It is one reason unintended consequences can be so prolific, and why ‘the path to hell is paved with good intentions’ rings so true. One such intersection involves rail roads, roadways, and the…
The rail system has been used to transport freight since the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad became the first to commercially transport passengers and freight in 1827. Since then, rail has become a crucial part of transporting goods, growing in economic volume moved and longer trains. The rail industry’s evolution has…
Railroads have served the needs of people and commerce in the United States for nearly 200 years. Since 1827, when the first steam-powered locomotive debuted, to America’s original 13-mile track and beyond, rail has been on a continuous journey of improvement. Today, approximately 139,679 miles of track facilitate the movement…
In November 2018, Italy inaugurated the world’s first high-speed rail service dedicated to … carrying no passengers. Rather than cart people from one place to another at ultra high land speeds, this rail service blasts cargo and freight faster than traditional rail, truckers, or ships ever could. The Italian rail…
