Railroads U.S. Access and Competition Issues

Over the last decade, Class I railroads have consolidated and, particularly in the past two years, have achieved high profitability. The present, mostly deregulated railway regime was designed during a period when railways were in financial peril. Some Members of Congress believe that the present, mostly deregulated regime needs to be revised to provide more balance for the interests of those rail customers who are served by only one railroad. A major point of contention is whether current railroad industry practices should be changed to provide these customers (referred to as "captive shippers") with more routing options. This book provides background on the current railroad regulatory regime and examines the major points of contention between railroads and their "captive customers."