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Dear Friends,

Sometime in the next few months—and somehow—Congress will have to figure out a plan for the next half-decade of ground transportation in the U.S. With a December 11 deadline looming and another extension looking likely, the BUILD America 250 Act (introduced in May) remains the only package yet proposed. But for those concerned with America’s over-reliance on trucks and cars, and its underutilization of rail, the BUILD Act is a giant step backward.

Among those so concerned is Chuck Baker, president of the American Short Line Railroad Association and my guest on today’s episode of Reconnect America. In addition to the shortcomings of the BUILD Act, Chuck and I also discussed some of the thorny issues surrounding short lines: the power imbalance they face vis-a-vis their larger Class One railroad partners; whether short lines need protection from Class One retaliation; and what (if anything) can be done about the frustrating contractual provisions between short lines and Class Ones known as “paper barriers”, which artificially limit short line business opportunities.

With Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena’s threats to shippers spilling over into public awareness, an approaching deadline for Surface Transportation Reauthorization, and a new Congress on its way in, now is the time to be building common cause around the role that this critical national infrastructure plays in our society and economy—and the role it should play going forward.

With Gratitude & Solidarity,

Bill Moyer

Reconnect America is hosted by Bill Moyer, co-author of the book Solutionary Rail: A People-powered Campaign to Electrify America’s Railroads and Open Corridors to a Clean Energy Future. Check out the essays and supplemental posts that complement this podcast HERE.

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