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 | A BNSFRailway yard in Mandan, N.D. PHOTO: TOM STROMME/ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Major North American freight railroads face growing scrutiny from regulators as they implement their operating efficiency plans. The Surface Transportation Board is considering aggressive new rule-making to force railroads to share tracks and expand competition for their customers, the WSJ’s Ted Mann reports. The steps are coming as complaints from rail customers about meltdowns in service are growing and delays in shipments of raw materials are infuriating politicians who are anxious about goods shortages and inflation. That has pressed STB Chairman Martin Oberman and the five-member board into a more pugnacious stance. The railroads are pushing back, saying they face the same staff shortages plaguing other industries and are taking steps to hire more workers and upgrade equipment. The board now is requiring the railroads to submit weekly performance reports. But bigger rules changes in the works could shift the carriers’ business landscape for years to come.
Union Pacific has added nearly 600 new conductors to its constrained rail operations. (Trains) |
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