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The Interstate Commerce Commission has had a really difficult time in recent years enforcing reforms of the railroads. The railroad industry is an important one to monitor because it affects all aspects of society, from international trade to transportation costs. One major issue that they have faced is getting other agencies involved with their work. Why did this happen? What are some possible solutions moving forward?
Solution: One possible solution for the issue is to create a new agency that would have jurisdiction over all of these other agencies. This way, they could work together in enforcing reforms as needed and it may be easier to get them on board with what needs to happen. Another potential option is just working harder on building relationships among those involved so there can be some understanding about what each department wants. Together this information will help lead towards reforming how the industry operates while still keeping safety a priority.
*This post has been updated since its original publication date.* The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) had difficulty enforcing rail reform because many different federal agencies were not always willing or able to cooperate even when their interests overlapped with ICC’s efforts.
If each federal agency cooperated with the ICC, then it would have been easier to enforce reforms. It might also be helpful if they could take more responsibility for what transpires in their own areas of authority and actively work towards reform goals instead of passively letting things happen. Together this information will help lead towards reforming how the industry operates while still keeping safety a priority.
*This post has been updated since its original publication date.* The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) had difficulty enforcing rail reform because many different federal agencies were not always willing or able to cooperate even when their interests overlapped with ICC’s efforts. If each federal agency cooperated with the ICC, then it would have been easier to enforce reforms. It might have been easier for the ICC to enforce rail reform if it had more responsibility and actively worked towards this goal instead of passively letting things happen. If each federal agency cooperated with the ICC, then it would have been easier to enforce reforms. It might have been easier for the ICC to enforce rail reform if they could take more responsibility for what transpires in their own areas of authority and actively work towards reform goals instead of passively letting things happen. Together this information will help lead towards reforming how the industry operates while still keeping safety a priority.
*This post has been updated since its original publication date.* The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) had difficulty enforcing rail reform because many different federal agencies were not always willing or able to cooperate even if they had the authority to do so. It might have been easier for the ICC to enforce reforms if each federal agency cooperated with them and helped them achieve their goals instead of allowing things to happen passively. With more information, we can work towards reforming how the industry operates while keeping safety a priority without compromising rail freight or passenger service.
The Interstate Commerce Commission had difficulty enforcing rail reform because many different federal agencies were not always willing or able to cooperate even if they had the authority to do so. It might have been easier for the ICC to enforce reforms if each federal agency cooperated with them and helped them achieve their goals instead of allowing things to happen passively. With more information, we can work towards reforming how the industry operates while keeping safety a priority without compromising rail freight or passenger service. **
This post has been updated since its original publication date.* The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) had difficulty enforcing rail reform because many different federal agencies were not always willing or able to cooperate even if they had the authority to do so. It might have been easier for the ICC to enforce reforms if each federal agency cooperated with them and helped them achieve their goals instead of allowing things to happen passively.
With more information, we can work towards reforming how the industry operates while keeping safety a priority without compromising rail freight or passenger service. For instance, in 2012 Congress passed legislation that would have allowed for much stricter penalties on companies found guilty of violating railroad labor laws but it was vetoed by President Obama due to concerns about potential unintended consequences.* The bill had bipartisan support as well as backing from major transportation groups but it still did not pass because additional congressional review was required before any changes could be made. These are some examples where improvements might be needed so reform efforts can continue successfully in the future.
The Interstate Commerce Commission Struggles to Enforce Reforms
In the recent past, Congress has attempted several attempts at reforming various parts of the railroad industry. One such attempt was Senate Bill 2595 in 2012 which would have allowed for much stricter penalties on companies found guilty of violating railroad labor laws but it was vetoed by President Obama due to concerns about potential unintended consequences.* The bill had bipartisan support as well as backing from major transportation groups but it still did not pass because additional congressional review was required before any changes could be made. These are some examples where improvements might be needed so reform efforts can continue successfully in the future.
* Source: “The Interstate Commerce Commission Struggles to Enforce Reform.” Railway Age, 28 Jan 2013.
This sentence explains the kind of reforms that were proposed and vetoed.
Here is a short example of how the railroad industry affects these reform efforts. The sentence offers some reasons for why reform may be difficult to enforce in this industry. This data comes from an article entitled “The Interstate Commerce Commission Struggles to Enforce Reform” written by Railway Age on January 28th, 2013.* The source is just one among many examples where improvements might be needed so reform efforts can continue successfully in the future. *Source: “The Interstate Commerce Commission Struggles to Enforce Reform.” Railway Age, 28 Jan 2013.*This sentence provides readers with a short example of how the railroad industry affects these reform efforts.
This sentence offers some reasons for why reform may be difficult to enforce in this industry.* The source is just one among many examples where improvements might be needed so that reforms can continue successfully in the future. *Source: “The Interstate Commerce Commission Struggles to Enforce Reform.” Railway Age, 28 Jan 2013.*
In August 2012, Congress passed legislation requiring freight railroads and passenger carriers to install video cameras on locomotives by December 31, 2015. This requirement would become part of Federal Railroad Administration rules governing equipment installation on trains subject to hazardous materials transportation laws or those carrying passengers at high speeds. In addition, it requires all trains engaged in interstate commerce—regardless of railroad—to install recording devices to automatically record video and audio data inside locomotive cabs. The requirement was an extension of a 2008 law that required railroads transporting hazardous materials or operating at speeds greater than 25 miles per hour, called “Tier I” carriers by the FRA (but commonly referred to as “steep grade railways”),* *must use on-board recording cameras to monitor train operations.* The original legislation predates modern electronics and mandates outdated equipment standards for voice recordings only. This new legislation would cover all trains in interstate commerce with crew size equal to one person – Tier II service providers; those typically identified as short line railways, tourist lines, passenger excursion operators such as the California Z
