Interview: U.S. Railroads' Endgame Moment (w/ Byron Porter)

Wow, we interact with a lot of activists and advocates. What’s fascinating about this conversation is that amongst all of our guests thus far—Byron Porter is uniquely industry-adjacent. He brings together history, regulatory knowledge, and experience as a rail shipper and equipment provider for the railroad industry. You are gonna learn a ton from this incredible conversation—and that knowledge is gonna be very useful in the coming Endgame fight over the biggest rail merger in history. We recorded this prior to the illegal firing of Robert Primus, so that won’t come up. The limits of a regulatory regime ill-prepared to counter the political influence that Union Pacific and the Wall Street profiteers wield is even more apparent today than when we recorded this. The Wall Street profiteers are getting ready to stuff their pockets with winnings that could cost the country its last chance to put U.S. railroads back on track. Despite not being an activist, Byron is calling for a regulatory and business model revolution, not an evolution. And whether his or some other version of that future wins out—or whether this disastrous merger gets a mere wink and a nod—depends on all of us. What we all do next matters. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Forward Together!-Bill Moyer (host)Reconnect AmericaSolutionary RailRecommended pieces from Byron’s excellent Substack, The Pacific:* “UP Triggers the Endgame”* “We Need a New Staggers Act”* “Paper Barriers and Feudal Warlords”Reconnect America is hosted by Bill Moyer, co-author of the book Solutionary Rail: A People-powered Campaign to Electrify America’s Railroads and Open Corridors to a Clean Energy Future. Check out the essays and supplemental posts that complement this podcast HERE.Learn more, get involved and pitch in to support the work of Solutionary Rail at SolutionaryRail.org. Keep the podcast ads-free and without paywalls by making a tax-deductible donation HERE. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit solutionaryrail.substack.com