Staying on track: Wednesday was Rail Customer Day on Capitol Hill

About 150 freight rail customers - members of the coalition Consumers United for Rail Equity, or CURE - came to town to lobby.

They seek legislation that would require the railroad industry to offer more competitive pricing and reform the Surface Transportation Board, which regulates the industry.

Democratic Rep. Tammy Baldwin of Madison recently introduced a bill to eliminate the longstanding railroad antitrust exemption. A companion bill in the Senate is being shepherded by Wisconsin Democrat Herb Kohl.

Brian Rude of Dairyland Power Cooperative, along with representatives of We Energies, the Wisconsin Paper Council, Domtar Corp. and the Customers First! Coalition stopped by the Wisconsin delegation seeking support for the legislation.

They are all members of Badger CURE, a "pretty broad organization," Rude said of the 45 Wisconsin businesses and organizations that ship products by rail and are working together on behalf of rail reform.