RRIF Express will

摘要

The nation's more than 600 privately held short lines and regionals are critical to the U.S. freight-rail network, operating 47,500 route miles, or 29 percent of the total. One in five rail cars moves on a short line. Our "origin story" dates back to the Staggers Act of 1980, which enabled the larger industry players of the time to cast off marginal spurs and routes, many of which were in serious disrepair. Gutsy entrepreneurs picked up these lines, and by employing a different, scrappier operating model, they were able to make the routes successful. However, decades-long maintenance deferments by prior ownership left these small privately held railroads with significant challenges in matching larger railroads' capabilities — 286,000-pound car capacity as one example.