In his state-of-the-union speech Jan. 26, President Obama mentioned the word “railroad” eight times — the most mentions of “railroad” in more than 30 years of state-of-the-union messages delivered by five different presidents. Yes, there are thos [...]
Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) have reintroduced legislation this Congress that would lasso railroad pricing power. S. 49, introduced by Kohl, would repeal some of the railroads’ antitrust exemptions. S. 158, introduced by Rockefeller and co-s [...]
In a state-of-the-union speech uncharacteristically short on laundry list projects and policies, President Obama Tuesday night conspicuously singled out high-speed rail as “the most reliable way to move people,” saying that “within 25 years, our goal is to g [...]
WASHINGTON — The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, chaired by Republican John Mica of Florida, has named subcommittee chairs. Following are the chairs of the three subcommittees dealing with air, bus and rail issues: Subcommittee on Highways and Trans [...]
WASHINGTON — Democrats have finalized appointments to the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, whose ranking member is Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) Most transportation legislation affecting aviation, bus and rail originates in this committee. The Democratic mem [...]
WASHINGTON — Rail traffic for the week ending Jan. 15 continued its upward climb, reports the Association of American Railroads. Carloads were up by 7.5 percent compared with the same week in 2010, and intermodal (trailers and containers on flat cars) showed a gain of 5 [...]
WASHINGTON — There is a lot of talk, hope and hype about high-speed rail in the United States, but savvy policy analysts, planners and economists expect only a very few of those projects to move forward in the near future. One such project high on the list of pragmatist [...]
WASHINGTON — Two friends of labor — Democratic Senators Kent Conrad (N.D.) and Joseph Lieberman (Conn.) — say they will retire at the end of the 112th Congress in 2012. Conrad is completing his fifth six-year term; Lieberman completing his fourth six-year te [...]
WASHINGTON — The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) says it will sue Arizona, South Carolina, South Dakota and Utah, seeking to invalidate those states’ recently passed constitutional amendments prohibiting workers in the private sector from saying “union [...]
WASHINGTON — Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, the senior Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee, announced she will retire at the end of 2012, when her third six-year term ends. The Senate Commerce Committee has oversight of many rail, transit, air and bus issue [...]
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