Preserve policies that allow freight railroads to continue to invest in infrastructure
As recently reported in The Day, I traveled to Washington, D.C., in March to discuss Connecticut’s freight rail infrastructure with Connecticut’s congressional delegation. Freight rail infrastructure consists of the services, facilities and structures — such as roads and bridges — that support the transportation of the goods that drive our state’s and nation’s economy.
About 700 railroad companies operate freight rail services in the United States. Since the economic deregulation of rail carriers in 1980, these carriers have been able to invest upwards of $630 billion of their private funds into the rail network. The network stretches from Connecticut to California and to every corner of the country.
The commitment by carriers to build and grow critical infrastructure has had clear results. In the just-released 2017 Infrastructure Report Card from the American Society of Civil Engineers, freight railroads earned a “B” grade, the highest mark in the report, with the nation’s overall infrastructure getting a “D.”
In New London, where we are at the nexus of several rail lines such as the New England Central Railroad (NECR), this infrastructure is key to New London’s economic development. For example, a recently kicked-off project will increase NECR’s capacity so that its main line, which originates at State Pier in New London, can handle modern carloads, creating the first and only north-south heavy freight rail corridor in Connecticut.
My message to our members of Congress was clear: Healthy infrastructure takes steady spending — and it is a prerequisite for a healthy economy and New London’s future. Congress must preserve policies that allow freight railroads to keep investing in the nationwide rail network. Consistent private investment in freight railroad infrastructure is critically important, especially since policy makers are struggling to find public funds to repair our nation’s highways and bridges.
My message to our members of Congress was clear: Healthy infrastructure takes steady spending — and it is a prerequisite for a healthy economy and New London’s future.