Railroad Day on Capitol Hill Recap
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
Representative Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) (second from right) (ASLRRA photo)
More than 300 participants from Class I and short line freight railroads, along with representatives from suppliers and supporting associations, visited more than 270 bipartisan offices on May 8 for Railroad Day on Capitol Hill.
Railroad Day is the freight rail industry’s opportunity to exercise their first amendment rights, bringing attention to transportation priorities—both nationally and locally—in the 118th Congress. This year, according to the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), participants talked to members about freight rail safety, the success of the investments made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the environmental benefits of moving goods by rail, raising concerns about “misguided regulations” like the California Air Resources Board’s in-use locomotive regulation and urging caution when considering increases to truck size and weight.
Railroaders met with offices representing Senate leaders Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and Senators John Thune (R-S.D.), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), as well as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (R-N.Y.), Chairman of the Transportation Committee Sam Graves (R-Mo.), and Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), as well as hundreds of others who represent key stakeholders in the railroad industry.
In addition to participating in in-person meetings, ASLRRA and its Railroad Day partner associations will be extending the Railroad Day message online, engaging with lawmakers, rail stakeholders and the public through their respective social media profiles.
ASLRRA says it encourages its members to “continue to amplify the railroad industry message online by liking and sharing Railroad Day posts from ASLRRA and its partner organizations.” Those who participated in meetings are also encouraged to share their experiences and post pictures, being sure to incorporate hashtags like #RailDay2024, #FreightRail and #FreightRailWorks and tagging relevant lawmakers and ASLRRA using @ASLRRA.
ASLRRA would like to thank its partner organizations the Association of American Railroads (AAR), GoRail, the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC), the Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA), Railway Systems Suppliers, Inc. (RSSI), the Railway Tie Association (RTA) and the Railway Supply Institute (RSI) for their support of Railroad Day. ASLRRA says it is also grateful for the generous support of Railroad Day sponsors and the participation of railroad industry professionals, lawmakers and congressional offices.
