American Chemistry Council

Shippers want STB to clarify what it wants from merger applicants

A photograph of a Kansas City Southern train at a rail crossing.

What defines whether a merger is in the “public interest” and whether it is beneficial or harmful are questions that the Surface Transportation Board may need to unpack as it reviews mergers between Class I railroads, including the proposed acquisition of Kansas City Southern (NYSE: KSU) by CN (NYSE: CNI).

The regulatory agency has been receiving public comments on the voting trust that CN hopes to establish as part of the process to acquire KCS. Should STB approve the voting trust, merger...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/shippers-want-stb-to-clarify-what-it-wants-from-merger-applicants

Chemicals shippers relay rail service woes to regulators

A photograph of a train of tank cars.

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) wants regulators to look into why chemicals shippers are experiencing “rail service challenges” throughout the U.S. and particularly within the Gulf Coast and Southeast.

ACC President and CEO Chris Jahn sent a letter dated Tuesday to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) asking whether widespread and persistent rail service issues have been brought about by the railroads’ efforts to cut costs and modify network operations. 

The letter didn’t name precision...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/chemicals-shippers-relay-rail-service-woes-to-regulators

American Chemistry Council urges caution on Class I mergers

A photograph of tank cars rolling down a railroad track.

Chemicals shippers want the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to thoroughly mull over service impacts before agreeing to any merger between Kansas City Southern (NYSE: KSU) and another Class I railroad.

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) “is concerned about further consolidation in the freight railroad industry. Past mergers between Class I railroads have concentrated railroad market power and diminished the ability of rail customers to access competitive rail service,” ACC said in testimony...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/american-chemistry-council-urges-caution-on-class-i-mergers

Shippers embrace STB’s demurrage billing rule

A photograph of a train at a manufacturing facility.

Shippers groups are praising the Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) effort to address issues with demurrage billing, saying the final rule brings transparency and accountability into the billing process.

Some also hope that this week’s final rule will be part of a longer-term study of how precision scheduled railroading (PSR) has affected the industry, since the number of demurrage billing disputes increased as the railroads implemented PSR. Demurrage charges are the fees that the freight...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/shippers-embrace-stbs-demurrage-billing-rule

Rail stakeholders see promise and peril in Biden infrastructure push

A photograph of an open box car.

Freight rail stakeholders looked favorably upon the prioritization of freight rail within the transportation infrastructure provisions in President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion, 10-year American Jobs Plan. But some worry about its price tag and projects they view as unrelated to infrastructure.

“The OneRail Coalition applauds the Administration for prioritizing rail as part of President Biden’s infrastructure proposal, and for recognizing rail’s role as part of the solution to climate issues. Rail is...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/rail-stakeholders-see-promise-and-peril-in-biden-infrastructure-push

Shippers, unions, railroads take sides at Senate hearing

A photograph of a train traveling through a desert.

The debate about how much oversight Congress and the Surface Transportation Board (STB) should have regarding freight rail operations and rates took center stage at a hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee last week.

At one corner was the Association of American Railroads (AAR), which represents the Class I railroads operating in the U.S. and argues that the status quo enables the railroads to make the millions needed to maintain, invest and expand the nation’s freight rail network. At the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/shippers-unions-railroads-take-sides-at-senate-hearing

Surface Transportation Board adopts rule to improve data collected from freight railroads

A photograph of a Union Pacific train pulling double stacked intermodal containers.

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has adopted a final rule that modifies what data the board collects from the waybill samples of the U.S. freight railroads.

A waybill consists of shipping instructions or a bill-of-lading contract, and it includes data such as originating and terminating freight stations, the railroads involved in a movement, interchanges, commodity, and freight revenue.

The Board, transportation law firms, consultants and others rely on waybill sample data to help with rate...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/surface-transportation-board-adopts-rule-to-improve-data-collected-from-freight-railroads

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