The American Chemistry Council (ACC) is throwing its weight behind the Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) proposed reforms aimed at shaking up freight rail competition. The move would lift long-standing restrictions on reciprocal switching, a practice that allows shippers to access multiple railroads when more than one serves their area.

 

“For decades, and contrary to a clear directive from Congress, a single rule has blocked competition and left many shippers at the mercy of a single railroad—even when another railroad was available via reciprocal switching,” ACC notes. The STB’s proposal would repeal these outdated standards, letting the Board evaluate reciprocal switching requests on a case-by-case basis.

 

“The STB’s regulatory rollback supports President Trump’s push to bring manufacturing back home, strengthen our energy and agriculture sectors, and keep American made goods moving,” said Chris Jahn, ACC President and CEO. 

 

“America needs more rail competition, not more monopoly power. While the proposed UP–NS rail merger raises serious monopolistic concerns, the STB’s pro-competitive proposal moves the country in the right direction. ACC is ready to work with the Board to build a freight rail system that delivers for the U.S. economy.”

 

In its filing, ACC called current rules “obsolete” and warned that consolidation—from 31 major carriers to just six—has created monopoly-like conditions for industries reliant on rail transport. 

 

The council emphasized that removing these barriers would restore the STB’s ability to grant competitive access using the authority Congress originally provided, while supporting U.S. manufacturing, agriculture, energy, and supply chain resilience.

 

ACC highlighted the stakes: decades of consolidation have “choked off competition, hiked rail rates by 40 percent, and fueled service failures.” 

 

The council previously urged the Department of Justice’s Anticompetitive Regulations Task Force to push the STB to rescind its restrictions, citing President Trump’s Executive Order 14267 directing federal agencies to eliminate regulatory barriers to competition.

 

Beyond these reforms, ACC says it looks forward to partnering with the STB on additional measures to strengthen America’s freight rail network.