News

Weekly reports required of railways

What’s seen as a partial victory for agriculture comes from the top regulator of U.S. railways. The Surface Transportation Board ruled Wednesday that Class-1 railroads operating in the U.S. must provide detailed weekly freight service reports. According to Reuters, starting October 22nd, the board will also require railroads to submit a written summary of operating conditions at the busy Chicago “gateway” rail hub.

Senators John Thune of South Dakota, John Hoeven and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and, Al Franken of Minnesota praised the move toward greater transparency but they say more needs to be done to reduce the backlog and ensure timely grain shipments.

South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard says it is important information to have, “Grain leaving South Dakota must navigate a complicated transportation network that is affected by many factors. With the information the STB has ordered, shippers can see for themselves how efficiently, or inefficiently, their grain is moving into the marketplace.”