Defining what it means to provide rail shippers with robust competitive options could be the lens that the Surface Transportation Board uses as it responds to an order from President Joe Biden aimed at promoting competition within the freight railroad and maritime industries.
But it remains to be seen how exactly the STB, the independent federal regulatory agency responsible for handling rail rate and service matters, will balance shipper concerns with ensuring that the freight railroads can maintain and invest in their infrastructure and compete with other transportation modes.
