WASHINGTON, D.C. — American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) President and CEO Chet Thompson issued the following statement in response to the Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) decision to require supplemental information for the latest Class 1 freight rail merger application, to be considered during its formal review.
“Given the sheer size and potential impacts of this proposed merger, there is no margin to get this wrong and as such, we appreciate the Board's request for additional information. It's imperative that STB has a full set of facts and applies the upmost scrutiny in its evaluation.
“In the interests of American shippers and consumers, the Board must ensure any proposed merger enhances competition and leads to a more efficient and reliable rail network. Anything less would jeopardize the ability of U.S. refiners and petrochemical manufacturers to continue producing the affordable fuels and products Americans depend on every day.” — Chet Thompson, AFPM President and CEO
For more information on the importance of freight rail to the U.S. energy and petrochemical sectors and the decline of both quality service and competition in the freight rail space, see these AFPM resources:
- Why freight rail competition matters to American energy manufacturers and consumers
- Continued consolidation of U.S. Class 1 freight rail
- Reciprocal switching needed to address lack of freight rail competition & years of poor service
- Freight rail in America: Can a market be ‘free’ if there’s almost no competition?
- Freight rail reform: Moving America’s economy
The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) is the leading trade association representing the makers of the fuels that keep us moving, the petrochemicals that are the essential building blocks for modern life, and the midstream companies that get our feedstocks and products where they need to go. We make the products that make life better, safer and more sustainable — we make progress.
