March 29, 2022
In the midst of once-in-a-generation levels of inflation, record-high gas prices, and a lingering supply chain crisis, it’s gut check time for the U.S. economy. During times like these every decision we make as a nation needs to be viewed through the lens of meeting the imminent challenges facing consumers here at home – to say nothing of the global unrest at play elsewhere in the world.
The trials we are facing won’t be solved overnight or by some “silver bullet” policy prescription, but there are actions we can take to avoid exacerbating this quagmire. Unfortunately, as we cast our eyes toward the U.S. Gulf Coast we find that not all parties have signed-on to this sound approach.
Amid these co-mingled and unprecedented economic pressures, Amtrak is in the midst of an all out blitz aimed at adding two new round trip passenger trains per day to a freight rail line running between Mobile, Alabama and New Orleans, Louisiana. To paraphrase the many stakeholders who voiced their considerable concerns during recent public hearings on the matter hosted by the Surface Transportation Board, these two train routes are unnecessary, ill-timed, and – worst of all – potentially calamitous. In short, the risk of disruption is significant for the freight rail network relied upon so heavily by countless shippers, manufacturers, small businesses, and consumers across the region.
Worst of all, Amtrak failed the test of basic due diligence, neglecting to engage with all of the impacted community – before embarking on this boondoggle.
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