Hearing
The State of the Rail Workforce2167 Rayburn House Office BuildingThis is a hearing of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. Official Transcript Witness List: Panel I The Honorable Ronald L. Batory, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration | Written Testimony Panel II Dennis R. Pierce, President, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen | Written Testimony John Previsich, President, SMART Transportation Division | Written Testimony Jerry C. Boles, President, Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen | Written Testimony Andrew W. Sandberg, Assistant to the President, Directing General Chairman, District Lodge 19, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers | Written Testimony William Gonzalez, President, Amtrak Police Fraternal Order of Police Labor Committee | Written Testimony Ian Jefferies, President & CEO, Association of American Railroads | Written Testimony Opening remarks, as prepared, of Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Ranking Member Rick Crawford (R-AR): The freight rail industry employs over 3,300 Arkansans at Class I, regional, and short line railroads. These employees come from varied backgrounds, and nearly 20 percent of nationwide freight rail employees are veterans. Farmers and businesses across my state depend on our nation’s freight railroads to safely transport their goods throughout the country and the world. Important to Arkansas are our short line railroads, who most often provide first and last mile service for farmers, manufacturers, and other industries. I am proud to support H.R. 510, the BRACE Act, which would permanently extend the tax credit for short line railroad track maintenance. As total freight demand continues to grow, the critical investments made by the railroads in their people and in their infrastructure ensure a safe and efficient system on which our goods will travel. This investment helps spur economic activity and supports non-rail jobs. Railroad innovation leads to new technologies that make operations safer and more efficient. In turn, the rail network can handle increased freight demand and help relieve congestion on our roads. I look forward to hearing about the implementation of Positive Train Control, a key step to improving rail safety, and other technologies that can prevent potential incidents. |