AASHTO Journal - STB Member Primus Urges Long Term Freight Rail Growth

Robert Primus (above), a member of the Surface Transportation Board and its former chairman, recently stressed at a rail industry meeting that the freight rail sector must shift from a “short term profit focus” to one focused on “long term network growth.”

[Above photo by AASHTO]

During his afternoon keynote address at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Council on Rail Transportation’s Winter Legislative Meeting in Arlington, VA, Primus said that, during his four-year tenure at STB, “this is the best I have seen the nation’s rail network operating – it is by no means perfect but, operationally, it is moving in right direction.”

However, a lack of network growth is hampering the freight rail sector’s ability to support current and future U.S. economic growth.

“Without question, rail remains a key component to our nation’s economy. Yet a lack of rail network growth is impacting our supply chain – we have the largest rail network in the world, yet we still struggle,” he noted.

“Far too many shippers have lost confidence in rail service, [one reason] why freight rail volume declined 28 percent alone over the last decade,” Primus stressed. “That is why service needs to be reliable, rates need to be reasonable, customer service must be robust, and the network must have adequate labor. That is why we must shift from a short-term profit focus to long term growth.”

He noted that one area of major rail growth has been in the short line sector – and that state departments of transportation are playing a positive role in fostering that growth.

“Short lines are further strengthening the nation’s [rail] network – their impact on the network cannot be overstated,” he stressed. “How state DOTs are helping is with short lines; we have seen the most growth in short lines, double digit in fact, and that is tied to strong relationships with states – they work hand in hand with them.”

Primus noted that the Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements or CRISI program has played an invaluable role as well.

“CRISI grants are valuable to the short lines – they have allowed small shippers who may not have the traffic to garner Class 1 [railroad company] attention to get short line service,” he said.