Railway Track & Structures - February 2008 - (Page 44) CHICAGO PERSPECTIVE Who needs enemies? R ailroads have to deal with a wide variety of audiences, many of whom hold views diametrically opposed to one another. To attempt to please one will almost surely anger another. To add to the confusion, very few people outside the industry—and, I’m sorry to say, even some inside—really understand what a railroad does and what it has to contend with, so they don’t understand why railroads act the way they do. Inside the industry, too often one department of a railroad has only the smallest understanding of what the neighboring department does and the challenges they face in getting the job done. And too few have an idea of what it takes to run the whole shooting match, bringing together engineering and transportation, marketing and human resources and dozens or hundreds of others to make the company operate and do a job that is satisfactory to shippers and one that’s pleasing or, at least, acceptable to stockholders. Then there’s labor. Does any industry have a bunch of employees as contentious as our industry? I’m not arguing that the unions are right or wrong, but many are too ready for a battle when there’s no battle needed. And some are all too ready to trash the companies they work for in order to get what they see as an edge. Few industries have government looking over their shoulders as much as our industry. Members of Congress berate the FRA for not being aggressive enough, while railroads have their own complaints with the FRA and more often than not think the agency is too hard on them. Some shortliners complain that the Class 1s don’t think fast enough and are too hard on them with paper barriers and other rules. Some Class 1s don’t want to be bothered with the shortlines, no matter how entrepreneurial they may be. Rail customers are also a contentious lot. Some are spending big bucks to lobby a piece of legislation that would essentially reregulate the railroad industry. Railroads, meanwhile, sometimes don’t treat shippers as well as they should. Sometimes railroads can’t offer as much as the shipper would like, but they have to improve customer service to avoid the yoke of reregulation. Fortunately, suppliers and railroads get along perfectly all the time—in a pig’s eye. Listen quietly in the hospitality suites as evenings get longer and you’ll get an earful of supplier complaints. And at these same gatherings, you’re never too far from a railroader who’s all too willing to tell you how the “peddlers” are making money hand-over-fist at the expense of the railroads. Even those who claim to be fans of the industry are among its most severe critics. A common expression among railfans is, “It’s possible to love trains, but hate railroads.” Check out some of the railfan Websites and prepare to get an eyeful of some of the most venomous comments directed against railroads. And these people are supposed to be friends of the industry. With friends like that, who needs enemies? Unfortunately, the industry has those in plenty, as well. Some elected officials don’t believe the railroads ever emerged from the era of the Robber Barons, and they make their presence felt in many pieces of legislation. I don’t consider truckers enemies. As competitors, they’ll scramble for every load and they’ll lobby the politicians for every advantage they can get, such as LRVs. That’s only natural. But, in my humble opinion, railroaders and truckers have more in common than they have differences. I do see some small signs of hope that the two industries are learning that they have to work together for the overall good of transportation in this country. So all those people and organizations don’t like railroads, many railroads don’t like each other, different internal departments don’t get along, customers are upset with the service and rates, politicians get their licks in and on and on. With all that and much more working against railroads, it seems to me that it’s no small miracle that any wheels ever turn. For just a moment, let’s take a breath and congratulate the railroad industry for overcoming all those odds and doing such a remarkable job of moving increasing numbers of passengers and tons of freight every single day. George S. Sokulski Associate Publisher 44 Railway Track & Structures February 2008 www.rands.com http://www.rands.com
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