The coal, chemical, cement, and petroleum industries on Tuesday expressed support for a proposed rule to boost competition among railroads by giving shippers more leeway to choose carriers.
The Surface Transportation Board proposed in January to repeal a 1985 rule that effectively blocked rail customers’ access to reciprocal switching, which allows so-called captive shippers to send cargo on railroads to which they aren’t directly connected. Future requests could happen on a case-by-case basis, according to the agency.
“This modernization of the process will provide meaningful recourse for captive energy shippers and promote competition, and could serve to enhance competition, and ...