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Broad Group Urges Rail Reform Bill A broad group of captive rail customers and consumer support the initiative of Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Rockefeller and Senate Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman Kohl to work together to develop comprehensive legislation that addresses the concerns of rail customers with railroad monopoly power. In a June 19th letter to the Chairmen, leaders of thirteen national associations pledged their support for the initiative of the Chairmen and urged swift development of legislation to remove railroad industry antitrust exemptions strengthen the Surface Transportation Board and reform certain policies of the Board. Earlier this month, Chairmen Rockefeller and Kohl announced that they will work together on comprehensive rail reform legislation that will also repeal the antitrust exemptions now enjoyed by the freight rail industry. Click here to view their joint letter to Senate colleagues.
Meanwhile, the major freight railroads are exploiting their monopoly pricing power, even in the midst of the nation’s deepest economic recession in over 70 years The fourth quarter 2008 financial reports of the four major freight railroads showcase their ability to use their unrestrained monopoly pricing power to increase company revenues, even with declining volumes of traffic! The railroads are sparing no expense to protect this monopoly power. They have launched a multi-million dollar lobbying and public relations effort, as well as an expensive advertising campaign that included ads during the Super Bowl that ran in at least the Washington, D.C. area. As these monopoly price increases impact consumers, agriculture, and the nation’s manufacturing sector, CURE’s coalition continues to grow. These diverse groups are working to support the efforts of our Congressional leaders to curb railroad monopoly pricing power. Please contact CURE if you would like to join our effort. Together we can achieve improved national rail policy for rail customers in this Congress. |
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