Reported by Marybeth Luczak for Railway Age.
The rail industry’s role in overcoming supply chain challenges was the theme of a May 11 hearing of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. It was part of what the T&I Committee called its continued “focus on ongoing supply chain challenges throughout the transportation sector, with the goal of identifying potential legislative solutions.” Among the five witnesses was American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) President Chuck Baker, who urged Congress members “to wield their pen with precision.”
The hearing, “Getting Back on Track: Exploring Rail Supply Chain Resilience and Challenges,” was led by Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Tex.), the new Subcommittee Chairman.
In his opening remarks, as prepared, Nehls told hearing participants: “As examined in previous supply chain hearings, freight rail remained comparatively resilient. However, it still encounters many challenges that are both unique to and common across all freight transportation modes … Railroads are in the process of re-hiring furloughed workers and are actively training new employees to expand freight capacity. Today [May 11], the Subcommittee will hear from our witnesses about the current challenges to the freight rail industry in meeting supply chain goals and ongoing efforts to address these issues.”
Railway Age provides a roundup of written testimony from Association of American Railroads (AAR) President and CEO Ian Jefferies; ASLRRA’s Baker; American Chemistry Council (ACC) President Chris Jahn; Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) President Greg Regan; and Reason Foundation Senior Transportation Policy Analyst Marc Scribner.
Read more here.