Experts from ASLRRA’s staff represent the short line industry, and particularly our members, testifying before a variety of Congressional and Regulatory bodies. We are engaged in topics such as rail technology trends, economic impact of rail, increases in truck size and weight, regulations and compliance issues, customer service, interchange challenges, safety and tax policies such as the short line tax credit. Below you will find recent written testimonies given by ASLRRA on behalf of our members.
Washington, D.C., March 10, 2026 – ASLRRA has filed comments in response to the Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to repeal Part 1144, its regulations concerning intramodal rail competition.
Repealing the rule would allow the STB to consider the prescription of through routes, through rates and reciprocal switching agreements on a case-by-case basis under applicable statutory standards.
ASLRRA’s comments share the short line railroad perspective on intramodal rail competition. The Association urges the STB to provide guidance on how it would approach judgement of cases according to the rule, especially if the ruling could have an impact on a short line railroad.
While ASLRRA does not oppose the removal of Part 1144, and submits that doing so may increase competition, it does have concerns for potential inadvertent negative impacts to short line railroads, as a loss of revenue from a single shipper could have a significant adverse effect on a small railroad than a large Class I railroad.
Washington, D.C., January 5, 2026 – ASLRRA and the Association of American Railroads (AAR) filed joint comments in response to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' proposed rule to update the definition of Waters of the United States (WOTUS), EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322; FRL-11132.1-01-OW. The Associations support the proposed revision to the definition, emphasizing the need for regulatory clarity and predictability for the regulated industry. The comments also urged the agencies to categorically exclude railroad right-of-way drainage ditches from the definition of WOTUS. Furthermore, to avoid uncertainty, the Associations urge the Agencies to exclude "wet season" from the definition of "relatively permanent."
