Spring is just around the corner and another busy season is ready to get underway. From the look of the mountain of paper on my desk, I think it is going to be another hectic year. No complaints though, hectic years are a good thing. New construction in the energy fields, capital projects from the railroads and track maintenance work all seem to be well represented in the RFPs that are coming in. The shortline railroad rehabilitation tax credit, which was just recently extended through Dec. 31, 2013, is responsible for a lot of this work being done on the shortlines. The tax credit is just one example of what we can accomplish when we work together through the NRC and our partner associations to express our needs to our federal legislators in Washington D.C. Railroad Day on Capitol Hill is coming right up on Thursday, March 14, 2013. This is our chance as a group to express to our representatives, senators and their staffs the necessity of supporting the rail industry. If you are not already registered, go to www.aslrra. org to sign up for Railroad Day on the Hill. In addition to the shortline tax credit, we'll also be talking to Congress about maintaining a balanced regulatory environment for freight railroads, not allowing subsidized heavier and longer trucks to compete unfairly against railroads and endanger motorists on the highway and supporting funding for passenger rail improvements where they make sense. We are looking for a big turnout on March 14 to deliver our messages.
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