In The News

Freight rail bottlenecks said to hinder economic competition

A recent report on the PBS program, “The Newshour,” said bottlenecks in the country's freight rail network can hinder U.S. economic competitiveness compared with more advanced systems abroad, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported.

According to Rick Karr, a correspondent for Blueprint America, a major freight rail hub, Chicago, has become the nation’s worst bottleneck, significantly impacting the speed and cost of moving freight across the nation. According to the AAR posting, delays “have marginalized the significant environmental and economic benefits of moving freight by rail.”

Chicago's freight volume is expected to increase by 30 percent over the next 20 years and the city is trying to convince Washington that fixing the bottlenecks is a national priority. Frank Barr of UPS, a major freight rail customer, was quoted as saying that railroads need more capacity, more technology and more help from government.

“Shippers, environmental groups and planning authorities are advocating the development of a nationwide freight strategy and increased government involvement through tax incentives and public-private partnerships,” the posting stated.

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