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Reconnect America is the new podcast from Solutionary Rail that presents a creative yet common sense vision for U.S. railroads. It weaves together the genius of community and technical experts, workers and policymakers, advocates and scholars. Reconnect America reflects a decade of research, writing, and advocacy aimed at illuminating the ways in which the U.S. rail system can be harnessed to better service public interests and to address 21st century problems.

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.

This work depends on individuals like you. Please help keep this podcast happening without paywalls or ads by making a tax-deductible donation HERE.

The "two-fer-one" deal with Berkshire Hathaway that would transform US rail service - AND create a national SuperGrid for renewable energy.

Video of my proposition and their responses are captured here by Yahoo News. The painfully slow pace of my question was due to the crazy-making echo in my monitor.

For rail workers, trackside communities, native tribes and rural areas

From SR Executive Director Bill Moyer:

On Friday, I returned from a mind blowing few days in Washington, DC. While my work over the last two decades has taken me to DC several times each year, this was both my first time testifying at a Surface Transportation Board hearing AND my first meeting inside the White House compound.

These, along with three meetings with Senate staff working on rail, were arm-in-arm with a crew of kickass allies from the Moving Forward Network.

I would say that this is the culmination of a lot of research and work, but there's no end in sight. The learning curve is steep and humbling. That said, the details of the Rail System We Have - VS - the Rail System We Need are coming into focus. The limitation of greatest consequence is our capacity to imagine a pathway from one to the other.

My statement to the STB is meant to be agitational. I refuse to accept that the status quo is inevitable or that we shouldn't dream big. Of course we should dream big. Our future depends upon it. There are no easy answers, but common sense and honest conversations are being impeded by an imbalance of power and misalignment of incentives. That's unacceptable.

I look forward to continuing to learn from the genius of friends and allies working to put US railroads in service of public interests and to sharing those lessons with you. My team and I could not do this work without the generous support of people like you. Thank you for supporting Backbone Campaign and our Solutionary Rail campaign.

Forward Together!

Bill Moyer

For freight mode shifting and electrification

Why mode shift to rail is in the public interest; why electrification is an inseparable condition for that shift; and why a new business model is necessary.

Looking to the past to build a future

A people-powered campaign to put American railroads in service of the public interest

Check out Thomas White's proposal for revitalizing US rail and marshalling it to address the climate emergency and public good.