STB chairman keeps eye on fall peak season

STB chairman keeps eye on fall peak season    U.S. Surface Transportation Board Chairman W. Douglas Buttrey has asked the chief executives of the seven largest railroads and an association representing the country’s small and regional railroads about how they plan to handle the “fall peak.”
   “There is heightened focus this year on the ability of the railroads to meet demands for rail service,” Buttrey said in a statement.
   He cited four issues that may stress the rail network during the fall:
   * A healthy domestic economy.
   * Increased import and export container traffic.
   * Record harvests in the agricultural sector.
   * Capacity constraints within the rail infrastructure.
   He said the STB will closely monitor the railroads’ service plans.
   “This will contribute to the board’s confidence level that appropriate planning is being done to ensure that spikes in rail traffic demand that are expected for the remainder of the year can be handled as efficiently as possible,” Buttrey said.
   “As in past years, this will also provide an important tool for rail customers to keep them better informed and enable them to plan efficiently for the needs of their rail-served businesses,” he added.