The Success of the Staggers Rail Act of 1980

The 1980 Staggers Rail Act, removing or reducing federal regulation of rail freight operations, brought stimulating change to United States railroads. There was considerable uncertainty over the new policy's outcome, with experts anticipating nationalization if the industry's economic performance could not be greatly improved. This paper assesses the experience of railroads and shippers over the twenty-five years since deregulation and finds that the main goal of improving the financial strength of the rail freight industry has been achieved. There are also benefits for shippers, with lower rates, improved reliability and better service times as rail carriers have passed on some of their cost savings. The author concludes that full deregulation, by eliminating the residual regulatory control of the Surface Transportation Board, would maintain these beneficial outcomes, with further gains for railroad companies and shippers.

• Record URL:
  • https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/10_railact_winston.pdf
• 
• Summary URL:
  • https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-success-of-the-staggers-rail-act-of-1980/
• Corporate Authors:

  AEI-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies

  1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20036

  Brookings Institution

  1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20036
• Authors:
  • Winston, Clifford
• Publication Date: 2005-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 17p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Deregulation; Freight trains; Freight transportation; Operations; Railroads
• Identifier Terms: Staggers Rail Act of 1980
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Economics; Operations and Traffic Management; Policy; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01683067
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 11 2018 11:28AM