TOLL ROADS FOR TRAINS - BETTER RAIL TRANSPORTATION - A Climate Emergency Response

The latest International Panel on Climate Change report, published March 20, states that the situation is more dire than related in their previous reports. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by about 50 percent before 2030 is essential. Future generations will pay heavily if we don't act effectively now.

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Rail transportation can be an effective climate emergency response. However that will require a radical change in the business model of the railroad industry.

The US railroad industry must be restructured. We need a model that encourages better utilization, healthy competition, better worker protections and accountability for safety, and will put an end to unfair monopolistic practices. Rail is essential transportation and an essential climate solution.

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Benefits of Rail Transportation: Trains play an essential role in an effective response to the climate emergency. Rail is the cleanest, safest, and most efficient transport mode per passenger mile or ton mile.

• Steel wheels on steel rails means that trains produce only one third of the emissions of highway vehicles for the same transportation, no matter what source of energy is used.

• Trains use only one-third of the energy needed by highway vehicles. That is important because of the large amount of new electric power for electric cars and trucks in the future.

• A well-managed rail system provides a much safer transportation option than highways. We are four times more likely to be injured in a highway accident than a train accident and seven times more likely to be killed. Rail can provide equitable mobility for about 25% of the population who don’t drive.

• Rail causes less local pollution and displacement of land and communities than other modes.

Rail Industry Challenges: The US rail system is the least-utilized in the developed world for passenger service and 40th for freight (11th when considering the typically very long trains). The railroad corporations’ pursuit of profit regardless of consequences has made US railroads ineffective transportation and ineffective as a climate change response. This also has catastrophic consequences for industry safety, including for the rail workforce

Railroad companies discourage lightweight shipments, small quantity shipments, or shipments of under 700 miles. They consider these to be not profitable enough. They typically pass that business on to trucks.

Railroad companies generally oppose passenger trains.

Railroad companies function this way because they act as regional monopolies created by decades of mergers. Following the latest merger on March 15, there are only six Class 1 (long distance) railroads in the US.

The Solution: Rail transportation can be an effective transportation mode and an effective climate emergency response. The change must be made rapidly. The monopolies must be replaced with a model that better regulates the industry, protects workers, and is accountable for all safety aspects, and which better utilizes the infrastructure and encourages healthy competition. Better utilization will facilitate the mode shift to rail which should be a top priority for reducing climate emissions.

Some groups are calling for nationalization, government ownership of rail transportation. While government ownership is theoretically possible, it would be an expensive and time-consuming process.

A faster and more effective way of getting the rail transportation we need for climate emergency response, safety, mobility, and economic efficiency is to create Toll Roads For Trains, using the regulatory power of Congress, specified in the Constitution, to change the way rail transportation is structured.

CLICK START WRITING TO SEND A LETTER TO CONGRESS AND THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD (Right side of the screen). Thank you!

More details: https://tinyurl.com/TollRoads-Trains