Hundreds of railroad industry executives gathered in D.C. on Feb. 26 for Railroad Day on Capitol Hill activities. Railroad Day on the Hill is an annual tradition sponsored and organized by the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, the Association of American Railroads, the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association, the Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association, the Railway Supply Institute, the Railway Systems Suppliers Inc., and the Railway Tie Association.
Railroad Day on the Hill has become an effective venue for the entire industry to communicate its needs and importance to legislators. Railroad Day participants included freight railroads, suppliers, contractors, and rail shippers.
A record crowd participated in this year's meetings with Congressmen, Senators and staff, according to organizers. Participation was seen as particularly important this year because of the new Administration and pending rail legislation. Railroad Day participants pushed for railroad tax credits, argued against harmful industry regulation, advocated sensible implementation of the rail safety legislation, urged a greater rail share of federal transportation dollars, and discussed many other issues of importance to the industry.