What is “captive” rail?
“Captive” rail refers to the estimated 44 percent of the nation’s freight movements that are served by only one rail carrier, providing no competitive transportation option for the rail customer. Although railroad deregulation has given the railroad industry new life, monopolistic control over key parts of our nation’s rail routes has led to unfair pricing and poor service in the transportation of vital goods such as coal, grain, and chemicals. In 1980 there were 41 Class I railroads. Only seven remain today, with four – two in the east and two in the west – carrying about 95 percent of all rail freight.
