Legislation that addresses unreliable service and high costs for rail shipping has been re-introduced to Congress. U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) are leading the bipartisan Reliable Rail Service Act with support from agriculture groups and manufacturers. The bill is a second try for the original bill introduced in September 2022 but didn’t move forward. Rail shippers continue to experience poor service, substantial disruptions and high costs that have impacted communities and consumers.

Meanwhile, the nation’s railroads are seeing record-high profits. The issue has been impacting rail shippers for quite some time. In March of last year, the National Grain and Feed Association urged for action to address the “significant rail service disruptions” impacting the country’s supply chains. The Surface Transportation Board ended up requiring all seven Class 1 railroads to send progress reports regarding service, operations and employment. Now, the Reliable Rail Service Act seeks to clarify the common carrier obligation with a “commonsense approach” to addressing high costs and inconsistent service.

Read more on the new rail-focused legislation here.