Jay Rockefeller: “I am happy today to join with my colleagues Senator Dorgan and Senator Burns, in introducing the Rail Competition Act of…”

“I am happy today to join with my colleagues Senator Dorgan and Senator Burns, in introducing the Rail Competition Act of 2001. Very simply, the purpose of this legislation is to encourage a bare minimum of competitive practices among participants in the freight rail industry, which has undergone unprecedented concentration in recent years, to the detriment of virtually all rail customers. This legislation is a renewed effort on the part of my colleagues and me to address an issue that has amazed and shocked us for years. The monopoly power of the railroads places pervasive burdens on so many industries important to our states and to the national economy. No other industry in this country wields as much power over its customers as the railroad industry, and no other industry has as close an ally in the agency charged with its oversight as the railroad industry has with the Surface Transportation Board, known by the abbreviation STB. In fact, no other formerly regulated industry in this country continues to maintain this level of market dominance over its customers and essential infrastructure.”