Why are the country's railroads in such dismal condition?
There are multiple reasons:
- While the rail industry has been incapable of expansion in the last generation and has become more and more fixated on the operating ratio to the detriment of all other metrics of success, Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR) has escalated this irresponsible trajectory to the detriment of shippers, passengers, commuters, trackside communities, and workers.
- On-time performance is in the toilet, and shipper complaints have been at all-time highs.
- Passenger trains are chronically late, commuter services are threatened, and the rail industry is hostile to practically any passenger train expansion.
- The workforce has been decimated, as jobs have been eliminated, consolidated, and contracted out, ushering in a new, previously unheard-of era where workers can neither be recruited nor retained.
- Locomotive, rail car, and infrastructure maintenance have been cut back.
- Health and safety have been put at risk.
- Morale is at an all-time low.
- The debacle in national contract bargaining in 2022 witnessed the carriers, after decades of record profits and record low operating ratios, refusing to make even the slightest concessions to the workers who, contrary to what the Class Ones may state, have made for them their riches.
Since the North American private rail industry has shown itself incapable of doing the job, it is time for this invaluable transportation infrastructure, like the other transport modes, to be brought under public ownership. During WWI, the railroads in the U.S. were in fact temporarily placed under public ownership and control. All rail workers of all crafts and all 16 rail unions supported (unsuccessfully) keeping them in public hands once the war ended and voted overwhelmingly (306,720 to 1,466) to keep them in public hands. Perhaps it is time once again to put an end to the profiteering, pillaging, recklessness, and irresponsibility of the Class One carriers. Railroad workers are in a historic position to take the lead and push for a fresh beginning for a vibrant and expanding, innovative, and creative national rail industry to properly handle the nation’s freight and passengers in the 21st century.
The only practical way to keep our railroads running is to implement Public Rail Now.
If you would like to get more involved in our campaign, please contact us.
