Guest Op-Ed: The Real Danger of Mandatory Reciprocal Switching Is Freight Rail Stagnation
March 11, 2022 – On March 15, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) held a hearing on a 2016 regulatory proposal that would amend agency policy for mandating a practice known as reciprocal switching. Most of the debate has focused on questions of market power and short-term shipper benefits, but one subject largely ignored is arguably the most important: the long-term impact of the rule on freight rail innovation and the viability of the mode itself.